Telangana HC Grants Bail to Allu Arjun in Stampede Case
The Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to popular actor Allu Arjun, who had been remanded to 14-day judicial custody in connection with stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on December 4. The incident, which unfolded ahead of the premiere of his much-anticipated film Pushpa 2: The Rule, led to the death of a 35-year-old woman and left her nine-year-old son hospitalised due to asphyxiation.
Authorities from the Chikkadpally police station detained Allu Arjun at his Jubilee Hills residence for questioning. He was subsequently taken to the police station for further investigation. According to reports, the stampede occurred when an overwhelming number of fans gathered at Sandhya Theatre to catch a glimpse of the star.
Pushpa 2: The Rule sees Allu Arjun reprising his role as Pushpa Raj, a labourer-turned-sandalwood smuggler, alongside Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. The sequel, directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, follows the massive success of the first film, which earned over ₹300 crore and expanded its fanbase beyond Telugu-speaking regions. The sequel also stars Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, and Anasuya Bharadwaj.
Bhaskar, the husband of the deceased woman, expressed that he does not hold Allu Arjun responsible for the tragedy and is willing to withdraw his complaint.
In the aftermath of the actor’s arrest, megastar Chiranjeevi, accompanied by his wife Surekha, visited Allu Arjun’s residence to offer support. Chiranjeevi’s brother, Nagababu, also visited the actor’s family.
Police have also arrested three others in connection with the stampede. Among those detained are M. Sandeep, a co-owner of Sandhya Theatre, senior manager M. Nagaraju, and lower balcony supervisor Gandhakam Vijay Chander. Investigations are ongoing to determine their roles in the incident.
