Hyderabad:A tragic stampede during the premiere of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre claimed the life of a 39-year-old woman, Revathi, and left her nine-year-old son critically injured. Actor Allu Arjun, who made a surprise appearance at the event, has been named as an accused in the case along with the theatre management, according to police sources.
The stampede occurred when an overwhelming crowd gathered at the venue to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun. The chaos unfolded around 10:30 pm on Monday, as fans surged forward upon seeing the actor, leading to panic and injuries.
Revathi, a resident of Dilsukhnagar, had attended the premiere with her husband Bhaskar and their two children, Sri Tej (9) and Sanvika (7). Amid the crowd’s uncontrollable rush, Revathi and her son were knocked unconscious and rushed to Durga Bhai Deshmukh Hospital in Vidyanagar. Tragically, Revathi was declared dead on arrival, while her critically injured son was shifted to KIMS Hospital in Begumpet for further treatment.
A case has been registered against Allu Arjun and the management of Sandhya Theatre under various sections, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Preliminary investigations suggest lapses in crowd control measures and failure to anticipate the massive turnout.
Police officials stated that despite their deployment at the venue, the situation spiraled out of control when the crowd surged towards Allu Arjun’s car. Videos circulating on social media show the actor waving to fans and requesting them to clear the way for vehicles before leaving under heavy security.
The incident has sparked outrage, with critics pointing fingers at both the theatre management and event organizers for inadequate crowd management. Fans and netizens have expressed condolences for the victim’s family and demanded accountability for the tragedy.
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Chaos prevails at the #SandhyaTheatre, at RTC ‘X’ Road, as fans of #AlluArjun were thronged at the Sandhya Theatre, during the Premiere show of Allu Arjun’s film #Pushpa2TheRule
Three people fell unconscious during the #stampede like situation, when they were… pic.twitter.com/LVUpP3vhOj
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) December 4, 2024
