Hyderabad: In a significant development, the Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to popular Tollywood actor Allu Arjun, who was previously sent to 14-day judicial custody by a lower court in connection with a fatal stampede that occurred during the premiere of his movie Pushpa 2: The Rule. The incident, which took place at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4, led to the death of a woman and left her son critically injured.
Allu Arjun, who was arrested by the police from his residence in Jubilee Hills, was initially taken into custody for questioning regarding the incident. The police had registered a case against him under various sections, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, following the tragic event. The arrest was based on allegations that the actor's unannounced visit to the theatre, combined with inadequate crowd control measures, led to the stampede.
However, Allu Arjun's defense lawyer strongly contested the charges, arguing that the remand report did not indicate the actor's intention regarding the potential danger of his presence at the premiere. His lawyer further emphasised that the actor had fully cooperated with the police investigation and that his arrest was primarily for sensational purposes. The lawyer also drew parallels to a similar case involving Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who faced legal scrutiny after a stampede occurred during the promotion of Raees.
The defense further claimed that actors frequently attend the first shows of their films as part of promotional efforts, and no explicit warning had been issued regarding the possibility of fatalities. With these arguments, the lawyer appealed for the grant of interim bail. The court, taking into consideration the points raised, granted Allu Arjun interim bail, allowing him to temporarily avoid custody while the case progresses.
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