Hyderabad Police on Tuesday grilled Telugu Superstar Allu Arjun for over three hours in connection with the ongoing investigation of Sandhya theatre stampede on December 4 that killed a woman.
Earlier today, the actor reached the Chikkadpally police station accompanied by his father Allu Aravind and lawyers a little after 11 AM while the questioning session continued till 2.45 PM. A police team led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav questioned the actor.
According to PTI, the actor was sent a notice to appear before police on December 23. The development came a day after police commissioner C V Anand released a video showing the sequence of events at the theatre.
Hyderabad police earlier registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the deceased woman's family. The actor was arrested as well. However, the court granted him bail on December 13.
In a separate development, Congress MLC Chintapandu Naveen, popularly known as Theenmar Mallanna, has lodged a complaint with the Rachakonda Police against the actors, director, and producers of the movie Pushpa 2, alleging it contains scenes that insult police officials.
Allu Arjun house attack
Moreover, a Hyderabad court on Monday granted bail to six people, who were arrested for allegedly vandalising the residence of Allu Arjun despite beefed up security deployment at the actor's house.
Earlier, the six people, claiming to be members of Osmania University - Joint Action Committee (OU-JAC) were arrested after they allegedly damaged flower pots and threw tomatoes at Arjun's residence on Sunday evening.
Allu Arjun gets bail
Telugu Superstar Allu Arjun was released December 14 from the jail. On Friday, he was arrested over a stampede at Pushpa 2 screening in Hyderabad in which a woman died on December 4. The stampede killed a woman who was later identified as Revathi while her eight-year-old was also critically injured at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2. The son remained in critical condition and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
After the arrest, Allu Arjun was produced in a local court which remanded him to 14 days' judicial custody. However, his lawyers moved the HC and secured interim bail. Despite the Telangana High Court granting him bail, Arjun had to spend Friday night in Chanchalguda prison as the authorities had not received a copy of the bail order on time.
Thaking his followers, Arjun after his release said, "…We are extremely sorry for the family. I will personally be there to help them in whatever way possible. I was inside the theatre watching a movie with my family and the accident happened outside. It has no direct connection with me. It was purely accidental and unintentional... I have been going to the same theatre for the last 20 years, and I have been to the same place more than 30 times. There has never been an accident like this before. I should reserve my comments because I don’t want to say anything that will tamper the case."
Woman killed in stampede
A stampede at Pushpa 2 screening in Hyderabad killed a woman on December 4 who was later identified as Revathi while her eight-year-old was also critically injured at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2. The son remained in critical condition and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
According to the hospital, the boy is presently maintaining stable vital parameters and continues to be off oxygen and Ventilator, while his neurological status remains the same.
However, the husband of the deceased woman later said that he was willing to withdraw the case and he does not hold Allu Arjun responsible for the stampede or his wife's death.
Speaking with reporters hours after Arjun's arrest, Bhaskar, the husband of Revathi, said, "We only went to Sandhya Theatre that day because my son wanted to watch the movie. It's not Allu Arjun's fault that he visited the theatre that day. I am ready to withdraw my case. Police didn't inform me of his arrest, I watched it on the news at the hospital. He (Arjun) has nothing to do with stampede."
Meanwhile, the producers of 'Pushpa-2' on Monday extended a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to the family of the woman who died in a stampede during the screening of the film on December 4.
Naveen Yerneni, the producer, visited the hospital where the victim's eight-year-old son was undergoing treatment and handed over a cheque to the family.
Cong leader lodges complaint against 'Pushpa 2' alleging scenes insult police
The complaint filed by Congress MLC Chintapandu Naveenon Monday cited specific scenes in the movie and alleged that police officials were portrayed as corrupt. It further stated that the movie depicted a scene where the hero urinated in a swimming pool in which an IPS officer was present, which amounts to disrespecting the police force.
Mallanna has claimed that some of these scenes are degrading and could lead to a loss of trust in constitutional organizations.
The MLC urged the police to ensure that some of the scenes are removed and action is taken against the actors, director and producers of the Pushpa 2 movie.
(With PTI Inputs)
