Hyderabad Police registered a criminal case against the management of Sandhya Theatre following a stampede on Wednesday night during the special premiere of Pushpa 2, starring Allu Arjun. The incident resulted in the death of a woman and left her son critically injured. The theatre has been sealed, and cases were registered under sections 105 and 118 of the BNS for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The condition of the eight-year-old, who is currently being treated at a private hospital, remains critical.
The deceased woman was identified as Revathi (39), who had come to the theatre with her son, daughter, and husband from Dilsukhnagar for the special premiere of Pushpa 2. Her son, Sritej, is a fan of Allu Arjun. The stampede took place around 10:30 pm. According to her husband, the theatre was already crowded, but when lead actor Allu Arjun arrived, the crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse of him. The police struggled to control the large crowd and resorted to a mild lathi-charge.
In the chaos, the family got separated. While Revathi’s husband and daughter remained outside, she and her son were pushed inside by the crowd. Both fell unconscious in the stampede. Police personnel administered CPR to both, but while Revathi remained unresponsive, they managed to revive Sritej (9), who is currently fighting for his life in the hospital.
Actor Allu Arjun’s team has assured to provide the necessary financial assistance to the family after the tragedy. In a statement, Mythri Movie Makers stated, “We are extremely heartbroken by the tragic incident during last night’s screening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the young child undergoing medical treatment. We are committed to standing by them and extending all possible support during this difficult time.”
The incident has raised concerns about lapses in crowd management, particularly during special premiere shows for highly anticipated films like Pushpa 2. Despite the stampede and chaos outside, the screening continued, with several actors watching the film inside the theatre.