Pushpa 2 premiere stampede: Sandhya film theatre owner, manager among 3 arrested

Hyderabad: Three persons including one of the owners of Sandhya Film Theatre and a manager were arrested in connection with the case registered over the death of a woman due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at the theatre during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun's `Pushpa 2: The Rule'.

Revathi, a 35-year-old woman from Dilsukhnagar, died while her 13-year-old son Sri Tej is battling for life, after the stampede during the premiere of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre in Chikkadpally on December 4. They struggled to move or breathe as the crowd surged.

Police officers managed to rescue the family, performed CPR on Sri Tej, and rushed them to Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital. Tragically, Revathi was declared dead by the doctors, and her son was shifted to another hospital for further treatment.

The city police have 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.

In a statement, Hyderabad police said they have arrested the three accused including one of the theatre's owners, senior manager, and the lower balcony in charge.

According to the police, a huge crowd had gathered at the theatre to watch the movie and have a glimpse of the movie's lead actors coming to the theatre. However, there was no intimation from the side of the theatre management or actors team that they would be visiting the theatre.

"The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors team though the theatre management had information about their arrival," it said.

Around 9.30 pm on December 4, Allu Arjun came to the theatre with his personal security and people gathered there tried to enter the theatre with him.

"His (Allu Arjun) personal security team started pushing the public, which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre. Taking advantage of this situation along with the actor and his security team, a large number of people entered the lower balcony area.

"In this, one Revathi and her son felt suffocated due to a large public influx and immediately the police personnel who were on duty pulled them out of the public from the lower balcony and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her son and immediately shifted them to a hospital, where the doctor informed that she was dead," it said.

Later, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy stated that they would not grant permissions for any benefit shows in Telangana.

The decision has evoked mixed reactions. While some have praised the government’s efforts to prioritize safety, others particularly fans and industry insiders are concerned about the impact on promotional strategies for big-budget films.