An Indian actor has been arrested after his appearance at a movie screening allegedly prompted a stampede by fans that crushed a woman to death, according to police and local media.
Huge crowds had gathered at a theatre in the southern city of Hyderabad this month to catch a glimpse of actor Allu Arjun as he arrived for the screening of his film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
The 42-year-old has now been arrested on suspicion of three offences, including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, a police officer told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The officer added that seven other people had already been arrested in the case.
A video on social media platform X, shared by broadcaster TV9, showed the actor sipping a coffee as he spoke to officers who arrived at his home to take him into custody.
He kisses his wife on the cheek before being escorted by the officers to the waiting police car, with a crowd of dozens filming the scene.
The victim of the December 4 stampede was a woman in her 30s, named locally as a mother called Revati.
She was reportedly attending the screening with her husband and their two young children.
Indian actor Allu Arjun poses for photos as he attends a promotional event of his upcoming Indian film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ in Mumbai
A video on social media platform X, shared by broadcaster TV9, showed officers arriving at his home to take him into custody
The victim (top right) was reportedly attending the screening with her husband and their two young children
The actor sipped a coffee as he spoke to officers who arrived at his home
Arjun kissed his wife on the cheek before being escorted by the officers to the waiting police car, with a crowd of dozens filming the scene
While her husband and daughter escaped the crush, the couple’s nine-year-old boy was seriously injured and is receiving treatment in hospital.
The woman’s family later filed a complaint against Arjun, his security team and the theatre management, media outlet India Today reported.
Arjun said he was ‘deeply heartbroken’ two days after the accident, sharing a video on X addressed to the family the next day.
‘Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time,’ he wrote on X.
‘I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally,’ he added.
‘While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extend every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey.’
Arjun is hugely popular in southern India, and the Pushpa film franchise has made millions at the box office, with the first movie the biggest Telugu blockbuster ever.
Its star won best actor at India’s National Film Awards for his title role in the first instalment of the series, released two years ago.
Arjun said he was ‘deeply heartbroken’ two days after the accident
Telugu film actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna during the launch of the trailer of their upcoming film ‘Pushpa 2’
It tells the story of a humble laborer turned international smuggling kingpin, with the second instalment equally action-packed.
The highly-anticipated movie smashed box office records even before it opened, with fans flocking to its screenings around India.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
