Pushpa 2 stampede: NHRC slams Telangana cops over lapses, demands response on relief to victims

Hyderabad: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) pulled up the Telangana police and administration for lapses that led to the tragic death of a woman and injuries to her children during a crowd surge at a promotional event for the film Pushpa 2 at RTC X Roads on December 4, 2024.

The commission has issued a show cause notice to Telangana Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and sought an explanation as to why compensation of Rs 5 lakh should not be recommended to the next of kin of the deceased, Revathi.

Fatal stampede during an unauthorised promo visit

The commission took cognisance of a complaint highlighting the death of Revathi and injuries to her two children during a stampede allegedly triggered by a police lathi charge when actor Allu Arjun arrived at the Sandhya 70 mm theatre without official permission.

The complainant alleged that the lack of police control and unlawful crowd management led to the chaos.

Initial denial of allegations by police

The Additional Commissioner of Police (L&O), Hyderabad, submitted a report on March 20, stating that no permission was granted for the actor’s visit and denying the allegation of lathi charge.

The police argued that the incident occurred due to mismanagement by the theatre authorities and the unexpected crowd swell in a high-density area.

According to the police, the officers on duty responded proactively and shifted the injured to KIMS Hospital, Secunderabad. The report also mentioned that the complainant may have made false allegations to shift blame away from the theatre management.

Commission questions police inaction despite denied permission

However, the commission expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation, stating it was unclear why the police failed to prevent the crowd and the actor from gathering at a venue that had been denied permission.

It also questioned whether adequate warning was given to the crowd and the event organisers.

The commission pointed out that if permission was denied for public safety reasons, the police should have anticipated the risk and acted proactively before the situation escalated.

Subsequent police action and arrests

In a follow-up report submitted on July 14, the police admitted that while permission was granted for pre-release screenings at four theatres, the actor’s visit to Sandhya 70mm was specifically denied. Despite informing the theatre management and the actor’s team, a large crowd gathered and the actor arrived at the location.

Following the incident, a case (Cr. No. 376/2024) was registered against the theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his security staff. Ten individuals were arrested, including the actor. The investigation is ongoing to apprehend others and gather further evidence.

Commission observes negligence, demands fair probe

While acknowledging the steps taken post-incident, the commission observed a clear lapse in public order management and insufficient preventive measures. It has now directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure a fair investigation and submit a detailed status report within six weeks.

Additionally, the commission has directed its registry to issue a show cause notice under Section 18 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, to the Chief Secretary of Telangana, regarding the recommendation of Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of Revathi.

Case adjourned for six weeks

The commission has scheduled the matter for review after six weeks, pending further reports and clarifications from the concerned authorities.