Telangana HC Grants Interim Bail to Allu Arjun in Stampede Case

The Telangana High Court granted interim bail to Telugu film actor Allu Arjun on Friday in connection with the tragic stampede during the premiere of his movie Pushpa 2: The Rule on December 4.

The incident, which occurred at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, led to the death of a woman, M. Revathi, and left her 9-year-old son in critical condition.

Allu Arjun was granted bail for four weeks, with the court observing that he could not be held prima facie responsible for the incident. Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, who delivered the verdict, noted that Arjun had merely attended the movie screening after obtaining the required permissions. The court questioned whether an actor should be held accountable for such a tragedy, especially when he had no prior knowledge of the potential risks involved.

The court further rejected the State’s argument that Allu Arjun had knowledge that an untoward incident could occur due to his attendance. "Is he responsible for the tragedy that happened? What knowledge did he have? He took permission and went," the court remarked, highlighting that no prima facie case was established to hold the actor accountable.

Justice Sridevi also emphasized the right to life and liberty for every citizen, including actors, and questioned whether anyone should be imprisoned without clear evidence of involvement in the incident.

The actor was granted bail on the condition of executing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and instructed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. He was also directed not to interfere with the probe or influence any witnesses.

The case stemmed from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the family members of Revathi, accusing Allu Arjun and others of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges. The stampede occurred at the theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule, a highly anticipated film starring Arjun, leading to chaos among the crowd.

While the prosecution claimed that Arjun’s presence at the event contributed to inadequate crowd control measures, the defense counsel argued that the incident was a tragic accident with no intentional harm involved. They pointed out that Arjun had taken the necessary permissions and that the theatre management had informed the police about the event in advance. The defense also compared the case to a previous incident involving actor Shah Rukh Khan, where the Gujarat High Court and Supreme Court had granted relief in a similar stampede case.

The case also saw the arrest of the owner of Sandhya Theatre and two of its employees, while Arjun was taken into custody by the Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force and the Chikkadpally police. The court granted bail to Arjun and two other accused, citing insufficient evidence to support the charges.

As the case progresses, Allu Arjun’s legal team continues to maintain that the charges of culpable homicide are unfounded, and the actor’s involvement in the incident was not intentional. The actor has also expressed his condolences to the grieving family and announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for them.

The tragedy has drawn significant public attention, with many questioning the adequacy of crowd control measures at high-profile events.