A day after being detained by authorities in relation to a stampede that killed a lady at his film’s premiere earlier this month, a well-known actor in southern India was freed on bail on Saturday.
The stampede happened during the December 4 screening of Allu Arjun’s release for Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad, southern Telangana state, and left a 35-year-old woman dead and her 8-year-old son badly injured.
After the woman’s husband filed a lawsuit against Arjun, his security detail, and the theater’s management for failing to notify authorities of the actor’s intention to attend the screening—which attracted a larger-than-anticipated crowd—Arjun was taken into custody.
The actor, his security detail, and the theater’s management were all charged by the police with culpable homicide that did not qualify as murder.
The proprietor of the theater and two of his staff have already been taken into custody by police in relation to the matter.
The actor was sentenced to 14 days in jail by a local court on Friday, but the Telangana High Court granted him bail a few hours later. However, according to the Press Trust of India, the actor was forced to spend the night in jail since prison officials did not obtain a copy of the bond until late Friday.
The actor spent the night in jail after his detention, drawing protests from fans outside the Chanchalguda Jail.
According to India Today, the actor denied any direct involvement in the incident in an interview with the reporters outside the jail after being released. He also promised his complete cooperation and to help if needed.
“We sincerely apologize to the family; it was an accident. “The event happened outside the theater while I was inside viewing the movie with my family. It had nothing to do with me,” the actor stated.
The fan allegedly died as a result of the stampede triggered by Allu Arjun’s unannounced appearance.
“I respect and love the family.” I have been going to the theater for the past few years, and I have been there nearly thirty times. Such an event has never occurred. It was all by chance. I sincerely apologize for the accident that occurred.
Following the 41-year-old actor’s unexpected arrival at a nearby theater where the film was showing, the accident occurred. The stampede was caused by the main gate of the theater collapsing as his supporters rushed toward it.
Arjun expressed his sadness at the disaster on the social media site X, writing that he was “heartbroken by the tragic incident.” Later, he pledged to cover the woman’s son’s medical bills and offered the family financial support of $US 29,000 (about $45,647).
In India, where big crowds congregate in cramped spaces with little infrastructure and few crowd safety precautions, deadly stampedes are very common.
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