NEW DELHI: The husband of the woman who was killed in a stampede in Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2, on Friday said he does not hold actor Allu Arjun responsible for the incident and is prepared to withdraw his complaint
Bhaskar clarified his stance in a statement, expressing that he does not hold Allu Arjun responsible for the tragic event. “We only visited Sandhya Theatre because my son was eager to watch the movie. Allu Arjun is not to blame for being at the theatre that day. I am ready to withdraw my complaint. I wasn’t even informed about his arrest; I learned about it from the news while at the hospital. He has no connection to the stampede,” Bhaskar said.
The statement came moments after Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with the case.
While a local court remanded Arjun to 14-day judicial custody, the Telangana high court gave relief to the actor by granting him 4-week interim bail.
The stampede, which occurred on December 4, claimed the life of Revathi and critically injured her 13-year-old son, Shreethej, after a massive crowd gathered at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad.
The incident had sparked widespread criticism of the theatre’s crowd management, leading to the arrest of three individuals, including the theatre owner and staff members, for their alleged negligence in handling the event.
Allu Arjun expressed his deep sorrow, describing the stampede as a “heartbreaking” event that overshadowed the success of his film. The actor has since pledged Rs 25 lakh in financial support to Revathi’s family and committed to covering the medical expenses for Shreethej.
The stampede at the Pushpa 2 premiere was caused by an overwhelming crowd eager to see the actor, with the situation escalating further due to a lack of proper security arrangements.