At the Annual Press Meeting 2024, the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, CV Anand, responded to the actor’s statements with video footage from the theatre, purportedly supporting their allegations against Allu Arjun.
Published Dec 22, 2024 | 6:57 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 22, 2024 | 7:45 PM
Sandya Theatre Stampede fallout: Hyderabad Police Commissioner fact checks Allu Arjun's claims
In the latest development in the Pushpa 2 Sandhya Theatre stampede case, the Hyderabad Police, on Sunday, 22 December, sought to refute claims of innocence made by actor Allu Arjun during an earlier press conference.
At the Annual Press Meeting 2024, the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, CV Anand, responded to the actor’s statements with video footage from the theatre, purportedly supporting their allegations.
At the 4 December premiere of the actor’s latest film, Pushpa 2, Revathi, a mother of two, was killed, while her nine-year-old son, Sri Tej, was seriously injured in a stampede allegedly triggered by Allu Arjun’s visit to the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad.
During a press conference on the evening of 21 December, Allu Arjun maintained that he had followed due procedure while attending the premiere show as per police directions.
Addressing allegations made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in the state Assembly earlier that day, accusing him of being insensitive to the tragic incident, the Tollywood star denied staying in the theatre after being informed of the woman’s death, calling the claim an outright lie.
In a video presentation, the police displayed a letter they had sent to the theatre management, instructing them not to allow Allu Arjun or the film crew to attend the show.
SHO’s order, dated 3 December, instructing Sandhya Theatre not to allow the film’s crew to attend the premiere.
They also displayed visuals of the stampede-like situation emerging as the police opened the gates for the actor’s cars.
The police detailed that, between 9.28 pm and 9.34 pm, people had flocked to the theatre from surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the Tollywood actor.
The video further showed the area where Revathi and Sri Tej lost consciousness in the lower balcony due to the accumulating crowd in the upper balcony.
The police said that Allu Arjun refused to leave the theatre even at 11.45 pm when the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) asked him to leave, informing him of the situation. The actor reportedly stated that he would only leave after the film’s completion.
The police supported this claim by presenting visuals of police personnel entering the theatre and of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) escorting Allu Arjun out of the venue.
Speaking in the Assembly on 21 December, the Chief Minister said he was pained by stars from the Telugu film industry queuing up to meet Allu Arjun following his arrest and swift release on bail, even as a nine-year-old boy was battling for his life in hospital.
Asserting that the rule of law is equal, he said: “The government goes by the rules and the law. We cannot relax the rules for celebrities. I cannot do it even for my family.
“Just because a film actor is a superstar, can he do whatever he wants and get away with it?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, addressing the case, DGP Dr Jitender stated there was no personal vendetta against any individual.
“The safety and security of the public are of utmost importance, and this responsibility must be acknowledged and upheld by all.
“Film stars may be heroes on screen, but they must also understand and address society’s challenges in real life.
“Promoting a film is not as important as ensuring public safety. Something went wrong here, and we need to recognise that such incidents are detrimental to the safety and well-being of citizens,” he said.
Refuting the charges made against him by the Chief Minister in connection with the 4 December incident, Allu Arjun maintained that the incident was purely an accident.
Speaking to reporters, he said the entire ordeal was a character assassination attempt against him.
“I came to know about her death only the next morning. Had I known when I was in the theatre, I would have visited her family.
“My daughter and son were also with me. How would I stay in the theatre and watch the movie?” he said.
Allu Arjun also claimed that he was never informed that permission had been denied for him to visit the theatre. While the actor secured interim bail, the case is still ongoing. Sri Tej remains hospitalised and in the pediatric intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, miscreants claiming to be members of Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OU JAC), were detained after vandalised the compound of Allu Arjun’s residence. The actor and his family were not present at the residence at the time of the vandalism.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
