Allu Arjun appears before police in theatre stampede case
Tollywood actor Allu Arjun appeared before the police for questioning in the Sandhya Theatre stampede case on Tuesday.
Amid tight security, the national award-winning actor arrived at Chikkadpally Police Station around 11 a.m. On Monday, the police issued a notice to the actor, directing him to appear for further questioning.
The police had increased security around the station and imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles. Allu Arjun’s father, Allu Arvind, and his legal team were also present at the police station.
A woman died, and her son was critically injured in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, during the premiere of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. The theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his team were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The ‘Pushpa’ star, listed as accused number 11, was arrested on December 13 and produced in a city court, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. However, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks on the same day, and he was released from Chanchalguda Jail the following day.
The fresh notice to Allu Arjun comes amid reports that the police may approach the High Court to cancel his interim bail. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand stated on Sunday that the next step would be taken after obtaining legal advice.
Anand also released minute-to-minute CCTV footage of the incident at Sandhya Theatre to counter Allu Arjun’s claims. The 10-minute video was compiled after analyzing 1,000 video clips and provides a clear account of the events that transpired on December 4.
Allu Arjun is expected to be questioned based on the video evidence and statements he made after his release from jail, including comments made on December 21.
During an Assembly session on December 21, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticized Allu Arjun for visiting the theatre without police permission and conducting a “roadshow” after the stampede, which resulted in a woman’s death and her son’s critical injuries.
Later, Allu Arjun held a press conference, calling the allegations false and expressing his hurt over character assassination. However, the police released CCTV footage to challenge his claims.
