Pushpa 2 Stampede Case: Telugu superstar Allu Arjun appeared before police on Tuesday for questioning in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the screening of ‘Pushpa-2’ in Hyderabad on December 4. Allu Arjun was grilled by police for over three hours when he
The ‘Pushpa 2’ actor reached the Chikkadpally police station accompanied by his father, Allu Aravind, and lawyers a little after 11 AM, and the questioning was held till 2:45 PM. A police team led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav questioned the actor.
“He cooperated with the police fully. If required, they said they would call him again. They (the police) wanted to question him, and he cooperated. They treated him very well,” Arjun’s advocate Ashok Reddy told news agency PTI.
What Did Police Ask Allu Arjun?
During the interrogation, police threw a volley of questions at Arjun, and the entire interrogation centered around Allu Arjun’s entry into the theatre, exit, and role of bouncers in crowd control near the star. The police have also posed questions about whether he was aware of the permission being denied for his visit. The police also asked him about the details of his private security. The officials also alleged that bouncers, who accompanied Allu Arjun when he arrived for the film screening, allegedly pushed fans, leading to the stampede.
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The police also asked him about his knowledge of the tragic incident when he was watching the film. He was also asked about the sequence of events. “The police have recorded the statement of Allu Arjun with regard to the case,” sources told PTI.
Following the questioning, Allu Arjun returned to his home at posh Jubilee Hills in the city. The actor held a press conference on December 21, describing the stampede incident as purely accidental and denied the allegations made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on the “roadshow” before the film screening.
Hours after Reddy slammed the actor for holding a roadshow and waving to the crowds at the theatre, without referring to anyone, the ‘Pushpa 2’ star refuted the allegations and said it was not a procession or a roadshow.
Tight security arrangements were made at the Chikkadpally police station in view of the star’s appearance. Heavy police deployment was made, while police also imposed restrictions on traffic on the roads leading to the police station. The actor was issued a notice on December 23 to appear before the police at 11 AM today.
The police, in their notice, said his presence is essential before the SHO of Chikkadpally police station to elicit answers about the stampede incident and, if necessary, for visiting the scene of offence, in order to ascertain the facts.
‘Pushpa 2’ Screening Stampede Case
A 35-year-old woman died during the stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4, and her eight-year-old son was hospitalized.
Following the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the deceased woman’s family.
Allu Arjun, named as accused no. 11, was arrested by the city police in connection with the death of the woman on December 13. The Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail on the same day, and he was released from a prison in Hyderabad on the morning of December 14.
(With PTI Inputs)
