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Allu Arjun, Pushpa 2 makers announce ₹2 crore aid to Sandhya Theatre stampede victim's family
Veteran producer Allu Aravind along with Telangana FDC chairman Dil Raju visited the private hospital where the boy injured in the stampede is being treated.
Allu Aravind, film producer and father of Pushpa 2 actor Allu Arjun, on Wednesday announced financial support totalling ₹2 crores for the eight-year-old boy injured in the December 4 Sandhya Theatre stampede.
The tragic incident, which occurred during Allu Arjun's visit to the theatre for a Pushpa 2 premiere, claimed the life of the boy's 35-year-old mother.
Arjun, now facing charges in the case, was questioned by police on Tuesday regarding his involvement.
The veteran producer along with Dil Raju and others, visited the private hospital where the boy injured in the stampede is being treated. After consulting with the doctors, Allu Aravind expressed relief upon learning that the boy is recovering and is now able to breathe independently.
Speaking to the media, according to news agency PTI, Allu Aravind said, “The boy, Sri Teja, is recovering. Now he is not on aventilator. To support the family, we should support him with ₹2 crore: ₹1 crore by Allu Arjun, ₹50 lakh by Mythri Movie Makers, and ₹50 lakh by director Sukumar. We will give this money through Telangana Film Development Corporation Chairman Dil Raju.”
When asked if he had visited the boy’s family, Aravind explained, “I cannot interact with the family due to the legal problems. With the police permission, once, 10 days back, I visited him. He was then recovering.”
Producer and Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Dil Raju also addressed the media, stating, "There is a meeting planned tomorrow with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and we have taken an appointment. We have invited most of the prominent members of the industry."
The boy's father says ‘his condition is stable’
The eight-year-old boy injured in the December 4 stampede during the screening of Pushpa 2 has shown improvement and is now off oxygen and ventilator support, his father Bhaskar said on Tuesday.
Bhaskar added that while the boy’s condition has improved, full recovery will take time, according to doctors.
He also shared that he received a ₹10 lakh cheque from Pushpa star Allu Arjun, along with additional assistance from the film’s production team and Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.
When asked about his willingness to withdraw the complaint, Bhaskar clarified that he received support from Allu Arjun's team the day after the incident and emphasized that there was no pressure on him to drop the case.
Providing a health update on Tuesday, the hospital stated: “Sritej continues to maintain stable vital parameters on his own without any oxygen or ventilatory support. His sensorium is similar with spontaneous eye opening and spontaneous limb movements but there is still no meaningful eye contact or recognition of family members."
The hospital also reported that while the boy responds to verbal stimuli, he is not yet following oral commands. He is tolerating feeds through a nasogastric tube and has been afebrile for three days.
