The NHRC directed the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, to submit an additional report within six weeks.
Published May 23, 2025 | 5:55 PM ⚊ Updated May 23, 2025 | 5:55 PM
Chaos unfolded at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2 following actor Allu Arjun’s arrival.
Synopsis: The NHRC has sought a fresh report from Hyderabad Police over the death of Revathi during a stampede at a Pushpa 2 event. While police denied lathi charge allegations, the NHRC questioned why an unauthorized event was allowed and raised concerns about crowd control failures. Additional complaints were received, and police were given six weeks to respond.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an additional report from the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, following allegations surrounding the death of a woman named Revathi, during a stampede at a premiere show of actor Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule on 4 December 2024, at the Sandhya theatre at RTC X Roads, Chikkadpally area.
According to the complaint submitted to the NHRC, Revathi died, and her two children were seriously injured during a stampede reportedly triggered by a lathi charge carried out by the Chikkadpally Police.
The complainant alleged that inadequate crowd control arrangements and the lathi charge when the actor entered the theatre led to the tragic incident. The complainant requested that the NHRC take necessary action against the police officers involved.
Meanwhile, the NHRC received additional complaints regarding the same incident from individuals including Sujatha Eslavath, Suresh Babu, Kotha Venkatesh, Rachala Yugander Goud, Thilak Reddy, and B Chandrasekhar.
In response to the NHRC’s direction, the Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), submitted an action taken report dated 20 March. According to the report, the ACP of Chikkadpally Division investigated. The inquiry revealed that the event did not have official permission and that actor Allu Arjun was not authorized to hold a roadshow. The allegations of a police lathi charge were therefore deemed false.
The report further claimed that the complaint appeared to be an attempt to divert attention from the theatre management’s responsibility in the incident. Authorities asserted that crowd control measures typical of major film releases were in place, despite the lack of event permission.
The inquiry highlighted the inadequate infrastructure of the theatre, including limited parking and entry/exit points, which contributed to crowd congestion and the ensuing chaos.
According to police, officers assigned for crowd management acted proactively during the unexpected gathering, and even saved the deceased woman’s son, who was transported to KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad for better treatment. The report also accused the complainant of attempting to damage the reputation of the police and of misusing law enforcement resources by lodging false allegations.
Upon reviewing the available material, the NHRC noted that while the allegations of a lathi charge were unsupported, and the event did not have legal permission, serious concerns remained.
The NHRC expressed confusion as to why the police allowed a crowd to assemble and permitted the accused actor and management to proceed with an unauthorized event. The NHRC remarked that legal action should have been taken against the actor and the organizers at the first instance of the law being violated—well before the incident occurred.
It further noted that there must have been specific reasons for denying permission for the event—possibly the anticipation of accidents or injuries. Therefore, the NHRC held that the incident was not unforeseeable.
It also questioned whether the police had issued any warnings to the crowd, the management, or the actor about refraining from participating in unlawful activities, or whether authorities simply allowed the tragic sequence of events to unfold.
Given these unresolved concerns, the NHRC directed the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, to submit an additional report within six weeks.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sumit Jha)
