Pushpa 2 Premiere: Allu Arjun Booked After Woman Dies, Son Injured In Hyderabad Stampede

Pushpa 2 Premiere Stampede Death: Allu Arjun , who made a surprise visit to Sandhya Theatre during the premiere in Hyderabad, has been booked for the death of a woman and her son's injury, per PTI report. A 35-year-old woman died and her son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at a film theatre during the premiere show of Pushpa 2: The Rule. The incident occurred on Wednesday night when a large number of fans thronged the theatre to catch a glimpse of the actor. The actor is likely to issue notice over the matter.

Allu Arjun, theatre owner and others booked in connection with the death of a woman

A case has been registered against Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management in connection with the death of the woman, police said. The Hyderabad police have registered the case under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint by the deceased's family. “Case has been registered against Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management over the incident,” official sources told PTI.

The victim has been identified as Revathi. She was accompanied by her 13-year-old son Sreethej, who also suffered suffocation and is being treated in a hospital where he is kept under 48-hour observation, they said.

According to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone), no prior information was relayed about the arrival of Allu Arjun and Pushpa 2 team, and the theatre management made no arrangements for the security of people.

"The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors’ team though the theatre management had information about their arrival," it added.

After Arjun came to the theatre along with his personal security, people tried to enter the cinema hall with him, the police statement said. "His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre," it added.

As the crowd surged into the theatre, the woman and her son, who also tried to enter the theatre, suffocated and fell unconscious, police said. Police personnel who were on duty pulled them out and conducted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the woman and her son, they said.

Deceased family reacts

Addressing the media, the victim's husband Bhaskar said doctors have said the condition of his son would be known only after 48 hours. Bhaskar said a stampede-like situation prevailed at the theatre and that his wife and son moved ahead in the surging crowd, while he stood aside with his daughter. As he could not locate his wife and son, he dropped his daughter at his relative's house nearby and returned to the theatre to search for them, Bhaskar said. Later, he came to know about his wife's death and son's admission to the hospital.

With PTI Inputs