Allu Arjun Sent to 14 Days Judicial Custody by Lower Court, Granted Bail by High Court
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 13: The Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail for four weeks to noted Telegu actor Allu Arjun within hours of his arrest by Chikkadpally police in a case of the death of a woman in a stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4.
Two others arrested by police in this case were also granted bail.
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of Telangana High Court, who heard the interim bail petition application during the post-lunch session, directed the actor to furnish a personal bond of ₹50,000. The judge directed the actor to cooperate with the investigation in the case. By the time this order was pronounced by the judge, the actor was presented before a magistrate who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.
A few hours after actor Allu Arjun was detained by Chikkadpally police, Magudampalli Bhaskar, the husband of the woman who died in the stampede — issued a statement that he did not the actor would be arrested holding him responsible for the death of his wife and said he was ready to withdraw his complaint. With the High Court judge ordering bail, he is likely to be released from the prison tonight.
Ordering his release, the Telangana High Court cited Allu Arjun’s right to liberty and said “just because he is an actor… he cannot be held like this.” Mr Arjun moved the High Court after the lower court sent him to jail for 14 days. The lower court had also dismissed a plea to delay his arrest till Monday.
One woman had died in the stampede – triggered by the actor turning up at the city’s Sandhya Theatre for a special screening of his film – and her nine-year-old son suffered serious injuries.
Allu Arjun was arrested from his Jubilee Hills home and taken to the Chikkadpally Police Station. He later complained that the police had made unauthorised entry into his bedroom to arrest him. The actor’s father – well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind – and other family members were present when he was arrested.
The Hyderabad Police had earlier filed a case against the 41-year-old star and several others, including members of his security team and the management of the Sandhya Theatre in the city and filed charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt against him.
The complaint – filed by the husband of the woman killed – said the actor and theatre management had neglected to inform the police of the latter’s plan to attend a screening of the film at the theatre. However, Mr Arjun’s office and the theatre officials have insisted the cops had, in fact, been informed.
And, hours after his arrest, a copy of just such a letter was released, in which the police were told of plans for the film’s stars, Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana, to visit the theatre at 9.30 pm. On December 11, he moved the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the case.
The investigation now will focus on two questions – did Mr Arjun have police permission to appear at the theatre that was holding a special showing of his ‘Pusha 2: The Rule‘, and did he have permission to interact with fans outside the theatre, which is in an area home to other cinema halls.
The stampede broke after the hugely popular actor made what police said was an unscheduled appearance at the theatre showing “Pushpa 2: The Rule.” The 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was injured as the crowd jostled and shoved each other to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand had said then, “There was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors’ team… that they will be visiting the theatre…” and noted also that no separate entry, or exit, had been provided, even though the theatre knew they were coming.
According to the police, Mr Arjun arrived at the theatre at 9.30 pm. As news of his arrival – he used the main entrance and spent 15-20 minutes outside – spread, hundreds of people thronged to catch a glimpse of him. His security team started pushing the crowd back and that aggravated the situation.
The woman, identified as Revathi, and her son felt “suffocated,” the police said. They were pulled out of the crowd by police who performed emergency first aid and shifted them to a nearby hospital. Mr Arjun, by this time, had gone into the theatre, but the crowd had continued building in the lobby.
The arrest drew a scathing response from BRS leader KT Rama Rao – whose party was thumped by the Congress in the Telangana election – called action against him “pinnacle of insecurity of rulers!” “I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly responsible. There is always space for respect and dignified conduct. I strongly condemn high-handed behaviour of the government.”
“Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra…” Mr Reddy responded soon after, saying neither he nor his government had any role to play in the actor’s arrest. “No political reason to be read into… all are equal before the law,” he said.
Responding to the stampede and the woman’s death, Arjun later said on X, “Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident… My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally.”
Mr Arjun also announced assistance of ₹ 25 lakh for the woman’s family, and also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy, whose condition was critical. The tragic stampede sparked widespread criticism, with many calling for stricter regulations around celebrity events to prevent such tragedies.
