Hyderabad theatre stampede case: Police grill Allu Arjun for 3 hours; arrest his bouncer

Hyderabad: The police grilled famous Telugu actor Allu Arjun for over three hours on Tuesday as part of their investigation into the death of a woman during a stampede at the premiere of 'Pushpa 2' at Sandhya Theatre. According to the latest reports, the Chikkadpally police arrested the actor's bouncer, Antony, for allegedly attacking fans at the theatre.

CCTV footage collected from the venue showed the actor's bouncers charging at fans with sticks while attempting to control the crowd. The police subsequently made this video public. Despite the large number of fans who rushed to the theatre to catch a glimpse of the actor, the theatre management did not seek police assistance to manage the crowd.

Allu Arjun appeared at the Chikkadpally police station on December 23 after receiving a notice. On Tuesday, the actor, accompanied by his father Allu Aravind and legal counsel, reached the police station around 11 am.A police te am led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav questioned the actor.

"He cooperated with the Police fully. If required, they said they'll call him again. They (the police) wanted to question him and he cooperated. They treated him very well," Arjun's advocate Ashok Reddy told PTI.

The interrogation centred around Allu Arjun's entry into the theatre, exit and role of bouncers in crowd controlling near the actor. The police have also posed questions whether he was aware of the permission being denied for his visit. The police also asked him about the details of his private security. The police alleged that bouncers, who accompanied the star when he arrived for the film screening, allegedly pushed fans leading to the stampede.

The police also asked him about his knowledge of the tragic incident when he was watching the film. He was also asked about the sequence of events. After the questioning, Allu Arjun returned to his home at posh Jubilee Hills in the city. Tight security was deployed at the station in anticipation of the star's appearance.

The summons for interrogation followed the release of CCTV footage by the city police commissioner, C.V. Anand, which detailed the sequence of events at the theatre. A 35-year-old woman lost her life during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, while her eight-year-old son was hospitalised.

In the aftermath of the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station, based on a complaint filed by the deceased woman's family.

Allu Arjun, listed as Accused No. 11, was arrested by the city police on December 13 in connection with the woman's death. However, the Telangana High Court granted him four weeks of interim bail on the same day, leading to his release from prison on the morning of December 14.