Hyderabad:
Unseen footage from Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre – the place a stampede December 4, as actor Allu Arjun‘s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rise‘ was being screened, killed a younger mom and critically injured her eight-year-old youngster – exhibits the confusion and chaos that prevailed that night time.
The 14-second clip does not have audio however exhibits a crowd pushing and shoving as they funnel via a doorway. The steel gates on both aspect are actually torn from their hinges. The bottom is plagued by items of paper and plastic water bottles stomped on by the surging mob.
The timestamp on the video is round 9.15 pm, which is quarter-hour earlier than Allu Arjun arrived – unannounced, based on the police – on the theatre. Information of the actor’s arrival, the cops have alleged, led to the stampede as adoring followers fell over one another to get a glimpse of the actor.
Within the crush that adopted Revathi, 35, was killed and her eight-year-old son, Sri Tej, was left critically injured. Mr Arjun, 41, was arrested 9 days after the tragic incident.
A decrease courtroom despatched him to judicial custody for 14 days however, in a cinema-like twist, a couple of hours later the Telangana Excessive Court docket granted interim bail, underscoring the actor’s proper to liberty.
Mr Arjun spent the night time in jail anyway as a result of the courtroom’s order got here late.
Out on bail, the actor was summoned right this moment to affix the police investigation. He did so, showing on the metropolis’s Chikkadpally Police Station for an almost four-hour query session.
Among the many questions thrown at him by the police have been:
- Do you know police permission had been denied so that you can come to the premiere?
- Who took the decision to proceed with the plan (for the actor to attend the particular screening) regardless of denial of police permission?
- Did any police officer inform you concerning the stampede outdoors?
- When do you know concerning the dying of the girl?
READ | “Did You Know…”: What Cops Asked Allu Arjun In ‘Pushpa 2’ Stampede Case
The actor and his safety workforce, and the theatre proprietor, common and safety managers have been charged with culpable murder not amounting to homicide.
On his half, Allu Arjun has rejected allegations he was accountable for the stampede and the dying of the girl. On Saturday, he informed reporters the incident was “very unlucky” and criticised what he known as “misinformation” and “character assassination” in opposition to him.
READ | “Misinformation, Character Assassination”: Actor Allu Arjun On Stampede Row
Public sentiment, although, has been divided; on Sunday there was a protest outdoors his house.
A mob barged in and vandalised elements of the compound; they broke flower pots and threw tomatoes on the constructing. The protesters, reportedly college college students, additionally shouted slogans until they have been ejected.