Pushpa 2 stampede case: Timeline of events from fatal incident to Allu Arjun's latest legal struggle
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Dec 24, 2024, 3:37 PM ISTAllu Arjun's Pushpa 2 premiere was marred by a stampede, resulting in one death. The actor faces legal action, allegations of insensitivity, and vandalism, with the investigation ongoing.
The release of Allu Arjun's highly anticipated film Pushpa 2: The Rule was marred by tragedy when a stampede at a premiere show in Hyderabad resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman, Revathi, and left her nine-year-old son critically injured.
Also Read: Pushpa 2 stampede case: Allu Arjun faced THESE 12 tough questions during investigation
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While the film is riding on a massive box office success, the real occurrences have been hard for the lead actor Allu Arjun, who is currently facing legal action. Let's go through the timeline of events from the day of the stampede till today (December 24).
The incident and initial response (December 4-9)
On December 4, Allu Arjun arrived for the premiere show of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre in style, causing a huge crowd to gather. The resulting stampede led to Revathi's death and her son Sri Tej's critical injury.
Following the incident, cases were registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) (punishment for causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the owners of Sandhya theater on December 5.
The next day, on December 6, Allu Arjun expressed regret in a three-minute video, offering condolences and a donation of Rs 25 lakh to the affected family.
Hyderabad police, on December 9, arrested three people, including theater owner Sandeep, senior manager Nagaraju, and manager Vijay Chandra.
Arrest and bail (December 13-14)
On December 13, Allu Arjun was arrested and taken into custody from his residence at Jubilee Hills in Chikkadpally. The actor asked the police time to change into a hoodie having words 'flower nahin, fire hain' (I'm not flower, I'm fire). He was granted interim bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 but spent the night in prison due to administrative delays. He was released the next morning.
Support from the film Industry (December 14-15)
Many actors and directors from the Telugu film industry, including Chiranjeevi, Naga Babu, and Sukumar, expressed solidarity with Allu Arjun and visited his home on December 14.
On the next day, Allu Arjun visited residence of film personalities Chiranjeevi and Naga Baba, who are his relatives, to thank them for the support.
Hospital visits (December 18-19)
As the controversy surrounding the stampede continued, Allu Arjun faced allegations of being insensitive to the victim's family. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy claimed that Allu Arjun had refused to leave the cinema hall despite being informed about the death. The Hyderabad Police leveled serious allegations against Allu Arjun, sharing CCTV footage to support their claims.
Allu Aravind visited the injured child at hospital and spoke to the media outside and said, "I just visited and checked on the child, Sri Teja, who is in the ICU. He has been recovering and showing improvement over the past 10 days. However, doctors said it might take more time. We are ready to support him. The government also came forward to support and help him in every way possible."
On December 19, Pushpa director Sukumar and his wife visited the injured at the hospital and donated Rs 5 lakh.
More allegations, vandalism and police action (December 21-23)
On December 21, AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi alleged in the Telangana Assembly that Allu Arjun showed no remorse upon learning about the death of a woman, Revathi, in the stampede. Instead, Owaisi claimed, Allu Arjun smiled and said, "Now the movie will be a hit".
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also chimed in, accusing Allu Arjun of refusing to leave the cinema hall despite being informed about the woman's death. Reddy alleged that Allu Arjun held a roadshow, waving to fans from the sunroof of his car, which exacerbated the situation.
In response to these allegations, Allu Arjun held a press conference outside his home, expressing his condolences to the affected family and denying any wrongdoing. He claimed that he left the theater immediately after being informed about the overcrowding and only learned about the woman's death the next morning.
Allu Arjun also addressed the allegations of his insensitive behavior, stating that he was being subjected to "character assassination." He emphasized that his intention was to show respect to his fans by waving at them, not to provoke a stampede
On December 22, Allu Arjun's house was vandalized by Osmania panel members, and eight people were detained. The actor's effigy was burnt, and his garden was damaged. The actor, however, was not in his residence at this time. The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy condemned the attack and ordered strict police action.
Allu Arjun's children, Ayaan and Arha, were moved from their home with the actor's manager to a safer place.
Latest Developments (December 24)
Allu Arjun reported to the Chikkadapally police station for questioning and was granted interim bail for four weeks. The investigation into the stampede and Allu Arjun's role in it is ongoing.
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