Actor arrested after woman was crushed to death during stampede when fans spotted him
An Indian actor has been arrested after his appearance at a film screening allegedly sparked a stampede of fans who crushed a woman to death, police and local media said.
Large crowds had gathered at a theater in the southern city of Hyderabad this month to catch a glimpse of actor Allu Arjun as he arrived for the screening of his film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
The 42-year-old has now been arrested on suspicion of three offences, including voluntarily causing pain with dangerous weapons or means, a police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The officer added that seven other people had already been arrested in the case.
A video on social media platform
He kisses his wife on the cheek before being escorted by officers to the waiting police car as a crowd of dozens of people film the scene.
The victim of the December 4 stampede was a woman in her 30s, identified locally as a mother named Revati.
She reportedly attended the screening with her husband and their two young children.
Indian actor Allu Arjun poses for pictures while attending a promotional event of his upcoming Indian film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ in Mumbai
A video on social media platform X, shared by broadcaster TV9, showed officers arriving at his home to take him into custody
The victim (above right) reportedly attended the screening with her husband and their two young children
The actor drank a cup of coffee while talking to officers who arrived at his home
Arjun kissed his wife on the cheek before being escorted by officers to the waiting police car as a crowd of dozens of people filmed the scene.
While her husband and daughter escaped the crush, the couple’s nine-year-old boy was seriously injured and is being treated in hospital.
The woman’s family later filed a complaint against Arjun, his security team and the theater management, India Today reported.
Saying that he was ‘heartbroken’ two days after the accident, Arjun shared a video on X addressed to the family the next day.
‘Heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My sincere condolences go out to the grieving family at this unimaginably difficult time,” he wrote on X.
“I want to assure them that they are not alone in this pain and that they will meet the family personally,” he added.
“While I respect their need for space to grieve, I am committed to providing whatever assistance I can to help them navigate this challenging journey.”
Arjun is hugely popular in South India, and the Pushpa film franchise has made millions at the box office, with the first film becoming the biggest Telugu blockbuster ever.
The star won the best actor award at India’s National Film Awards for his title role in the first part of the series, which was released two years ago.
Arjun said he was ‘heartbroken’ two days after the accident
Telugu film actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna during the trailer launch of their upcoming film ‘Pushpa 2’
It tells the story of a simple worker who became an international smuggling king, while the second part is just as action-packed.
The highly anticipated film broke box office records even before its opening, with fans flocking to the screenings across India.