Hyderabad theatre death: Case against Allu Arjun; victim's son critical
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Hyderabad: Following the death of a woman who was crushed during the Pushpa-2: The Rule movie's premiere, the Chikkadpally police on Thursday filed a criminal case against Allu Arjun, the film's star, his security detail, and the Sandhya Theatre's management.
The complaint was made by the victim's husband. The case was filed under BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) r/w 3(5)(voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means).
The police had made plans, but the theatre management also needed to send out additional staff to control the crowd, DCP, Central Zone Akshansh Yadav informed reporters.
"Around 9.30 pm, when people were waiting for the show to begin, the actor (Allu Arjun) arrived and his security team started pushing people, which created confusion among the public. Taking advantage of the situation, a large number of people entered the lower balcony area along with the actor and his security team. This led to suffocation and chaos," Yadav explained.
The film meanwhile, was still being screened at the theatre on Friday. "As the shows were previously booked, we have allowed the theatre to continue exhibiting the movie. However, we may seal it if required as part of the investigation," a senior police officer told TNIE.
Protesters demanded harsh punishment for the management and ex-gratia for the family of M Revathi, who was crushed to death by the milling crowd at the Sandhya Theatre, as protests broke out outside the venue on Thursday.
The theatre, where celebrities go for releases, is regarded as one of Hyderabad's landmarks. In order to stop such occurrences, the demonstrators also called for a prohibition on midnight premiere events.
After being taken to Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital, Revathi, 35, passed away from her wounds, and her 13-year-old son, Sri Teja, is still in serious condition in a private hospital in Secunderabad.
"A CT scan of the brain and spine was performed, revealing no significant abnormalities. Although lactic acidosis has improved, the child's sensorium remains impaired. The condition is still critical, and the patient is currently under intensive care with continuous monitoring as the medical team works to stabilise him. The child's critical condition is believed to be a result of prolonged unresponsiveness, likely causing severe hypoxia and potential lung injury from aspiration or contusions. Prompt CPR provided by bystanders and the police was instrumental in reviving the child, enabling further medical intervention," a statement from the hospital said on Thursday, TNIE reported.
Revathi's husband Bhaskar explained to reporters how the tragedy unfolded: "Our son Sri Teja is an Allu Arjun fan, and we came to the cinema for him. Everyone calls our son Pushpa. Fans were in usual numbers earlier, but when Allu Arjun arrived, there was chaos. When the police performed CPR, my son regained consciousness. They rushed him to the hospital.”
The Telugu film industry has being urged to support Revathi's family, who are calling for accountability.
Meanwhile, Allu Arjun's team released a statement expressing grief over the tragedy: "The incident that happened at Sandhya Theatre last night is really unfortunate. The boy is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital. Our team will provide the necessary help to the family.”