Allu Arjun and the ‘Pushpa 2’ production team have announced a 2-crore ex-gratia to the victim of the family of the December 4 ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede. Telangana Film Development Corporation (TGFDC) chairman V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, will hand over the sum to the family.
For the unversed, a fan met her demise during the December 4 premiere of ‘Pushpa: The Rule’ in Hyderabad. A 35-year-old woman, Revathi, died in a stampede incident while her eight-year-old son required hospitalisation. The boy, Sri Tej was on ventilator support and suffered from brain damage. Fortunately, the boy is recovering well now. The incident occurred as Allu Arjun attended the premiere with co-star Rashmika Mandanna and his wife, Allu Sneha Reddy. His attendance caused a ruckus among fans, creating a stampede.
Showing support, Allu Arjun’s father, veteran producer Allu Aravind, along with Dil Raju and others, visited the boy in the hospital. Allu Aravind expressed his relief after speaking with the medical staff. The boy is recovering well and is now able to breathe independently. The doctors are also optimistic about his full recovery.
The development of the increase in aid comes after Allu Arjun announced 25 lakhs as a ‘goodwill gesture.’ In his media address, Allu Aravind communicated the decision to further the gesture. “To support the family and the boy and for his future, we thought we should support him with ₹2 crore. The amount is being handed over to Dil Raju and requested to convey it to the family.” Elaborating, he said that Allu Arjun will contribute 1 crore. Meanwhile, Mythri Movie Makers and ‘Pushpa 2’ director Sukumar will contribute 50 lakhs each.
Additionally, Dil Raju announced that a group of film industry representatives will meet with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The meeting will aim to promote positive relations between the government and the film fraternity.
Also Read: Allu Arjun reaches police station over ‘Pushpa 2’ premiere tragedy
Following the tragic incident, three personnel from Sandhya Theatre, where the ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede occurred, were arrested. Subsequently, on December 13, the Hyderabad police arrested Allu Arjun against the complaint by the victim’s family. The lower court ordered the actor 14-day remand, however, the HC granted him interim bail. Arjun returned home the next day. The incident has been making headlines for a while, with the actor drawing criticism. On the other hand, several film industry stakeholders have come out in support of Allu Arjun.
Meanwhile, Sri Tej’s father M. Bhaskar reaffirmed that the family plans to withdraw the case against the actor. “We received support from Allu Arjun right from the second day after the incident. We don’t like him getting arrested because of us.”