NEW DELHI: Telangana police has summoned actor Allu Arjun for questioning on Tuesday in the stampede case that claimed the life of a woman and critically injured her 13-year-old son after a massive crowd gathered at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during the premiere of his movie, Pushpa 2.
Following the incident, the actor was earlier taken into custody but was released on bail by the high court.
On December 4, as he made his way into the Sandhya Theatre, the large crowd gathered outside and attempted to follow him inside.
The situation escalated when his security team allegedly began pushing the crowd, further aggravating an already chaotic scene.
Reports indicated that the crowd’s attempt to enter the lower balcony area en masse, following the actor and his security team, led to severe overcrowding. The stampede that ensued resulted in 35-year-old Revathi losing consciousness and later succumbing to her injuries in the hospital. Her nine-year-old son, Sritej, was also injured and remains hospitalised.
Earlier in the day, the ‘Pushpa-2’ production team provided Rs 50 lakhs as financial aid to the family of the deceased woman.
Producer Naveen Yerneni visited the hospital where Revathi’s nine-year-old son is undergoing treatment and delivered a cheque to the family.
He shared his sympathies and told reporters that the financial support was given to the woman’s husband to assist the family in this challenging period.
On Sunday, protesters reportedly scaled the compound wall of the actor’s house and raised slogans against Allu Arjun, demanding financial compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of a woman who died during a stampede at a screening of his film ‘Pushpa 2’. They left behind a placard accusing the film industry of profiting while endangering fans.
Six individuals involved in the attack, which saw flower pots damaged and tomatoes thrown at the actor’s house, were later arrested and granted bail by a local court. Security was heightened at the residence of Telugu superstar after the incident on Monday.
Hyderabad police confirmed that the actor was not home during the vandalism and that security at his residence has been reinforced.
