Allu Arjun’s Legal Respite: Interim Bail Granted in Stampede Case

Hyderabad, December 13, 2024 – Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun has been granted interim bail for four weeks by the Telangana High Court in connection with a tragic stampede at the premiere of his film “Pushpa 2: The Rule” at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad.

The incident, which took place on December 4, resulted in the unfortunate death of a 39-year-old woman, Revathi, and left her young son in critical condition. Following the event, Allu Arjun was arrested and subsequently sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a lower court. However, today, the High Court’s decision to grant interim bail came with the stipulation that the actor must provide a personal bond of ₹50,000 and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the Telangana High Court remarked on the actor’s right to life and liberty, stating that there was no apparent malicious intent on Arjun’s part in the incident. The case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management was filed under sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence, respectively.

The stampede was attributed to a lack of proper crowd management. Initial reports claimed that neither the theatre management nor Allu Arjun’s team had informed the police about his attendance at the premiere. However, contrary to these claims, a letter from Sandhya Theatre management requesting additional police presence was later revealed, indicating prior knowledge of the actor’s visit.

In an unexpected turn, the husband of the deceased, Magudampalli Bhaskar, expressed his intention to withdraw the case, stating that Allu Arjun was not directly responsible for the tragic outcome. “I am ready to withdraw the case. I was not aware of the arrest and Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede in which my wife passed away,” Bhaskar told TV9 and other local media.

The ruling has sparked discussions on social media platforms like X, where many expressed relief and support for Arjun. However, some sentiments lean towards viewing the arrest as an overreach, especially given the readiness of the victim’s family to retract the legal action.

The incident has highlighted the need for better crowd control measures at public events, especially those involving high-profile celebrities. The court has scheduled the next hearing for this case for January 21, 2025, to further deliberate on the matter.