Actor arrested over death at cinema, gets interim bail
Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with a woman's death during his film premiere but was granted interim bail amid public backlash.
Popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday and later granted interim bail in connection with the death of a woman during the premiere of his latest film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at a Hyderabad theatre earlier this month. Amid huge backlash over the arrest, chief minister Revanth Reddy said “people who violate the rules will be arrested”.
The actor was taken into custody from his Jubilee Hills residence in the morning hours, with police deploying significant security measures during the arrest. He was then transported to Chikkadpally police station for questioning that lasted approximately two hours. “Yes, we have arrested him in connection with the death of a 35-year-old woman M Revathi due to asphyxiation during the screening of the premiere show of his latest film Pushpa-2: The Rule,” Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand said in a statement.
The incident occurred around 9:30pm on December 4 at the Sandhya theatre. According to police reports, chaos erupted when Allu Arjun arrived at the theatre with his personal security team. The situation quickly escalated as fans attempted to enter the cinema hall alongside the actor.
“His personal security team started pushing the public, which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre. Taking advantage of this situation along with the actor and his security team, a large number of people entered inside the lower balcony area,” detailed the police release.
In the ensuing stampede-like situation, Revathi and her eight-year-old son Sreetej were caught in the crush. Police personnel on duty extracted them from the crowd and immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the boy before rushing both to a nearby hospital. Doctors pronounced Revathi dead upon arrival, while Sreetej continues to receive treatment at a super speciality hospital.
Following the incident, the Chikkadpally police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The FIR was filed based on a complaint by the deceased’s husband, M Bhaskar.
Asked about the arrest at a media event, the CM said: “I am not anybody’s fan, those who break the law will be arrested... For me, Law & order is supreme.”
After his arrest, the actor underwent a mandatory medical examination at Gandhi Hospital before being produced before the Nampally criminal court. The court initially remanded him to 14-day judicial custody, and he was transferred to Chanchalguda jail.
However, the actor’s legal team, led by senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, filed a motion petition in the Telangana High Court around lunch. During the hearing, Reddy argued the BNS sections cited in the FIR were inappropriate for the case.
“The FIR implies that the actor knew some death was going to happen. It can be at the most a case of death by negligence,” Reddy contended, noting that the deceased woman was on the ground floor while the actor was on the first floor when the incident occurred.
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, who presided over the emergency hearing at 4 pm, ruled in favour of the actor, stating that his rights of life and liberty couldn’t be compromised merely because of his celebrity status. The court granted him four-week interim bail against a surety bond of ₹50,000.
The police investigation revealed significant lapses on the part of the theatre management. “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,” the police statement noted.
Last week, Allu Arjun had announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh for Revathi’s family and promised to meet them personally to offer support. The actor had also approached the high court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him.
Separately, Bhaskar, the deceased’s husband, expressed that he doesn’t hold the actor responsible for the tragedy. “Allu Arjun is not at fault for coming to the theatre. I am ready to withdraw my case,” he told reporters.
The court has directed Allu Arjun to file a separate petition before the lower court for regular bail.
