Allu Arjun granted bail in 'Pushpa 2' theater stampede case
What's the story
Allu Arjun was granted regular bail by a local court in Hyderabad on Friday in the Sandhya Theatre stampede case.
The court has ordered Arjun to provide two sureties of ₹50,000 each as part of the bail conditions.
The stampede, which took place during the premiere of Pushpa 2 on December 4, resulted in the death of a woman named Revathi and left her nine-year-old son severely injured.
Legal proceedings
Arjun's arrest and interim bail details
The actor was arrested on December 13 and granted four weeks of interim bail the same day on a ₹50,000 bond.
A case was registered against the 42-year-old superstar, his security team, and the theater management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Chikkadpally police station based on a complaint by Revathi's family.
Family support
Injured child's recovery and financial aid announcement
On December 24, Bhaskar, the father of the injured child Sri Teja, revealed that his son had begun to respond after 20 days of critical care.
He thanked Arjun and the Telangana government for their support during this difficult time.
The next day, Allu Aravind, film producer and Arjun's father, announced a ₹2 crore financial aid package for Teja and his family.
Investigation request
NHRC called for inquiry into theater stampede allegations
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a senior police officer's inquiry into the allegations in the stampede case.
The complainant alleged that a woman died due to a "lathi charge" by Chikkadpally police accompanying Arjun during Pushpa 2's promotional event.
The NHRC directed, "Let a copy of the complaint be transmitted to the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, to have the allegations inquired by a senior rank police officer."
Defense statement
Meanwhile, Boney Kapoor defended Arjun amid the controversy
Despite being granted interim bail, Arjun spent a night in Chanchalguda prison.
Recently, film producer Boney Kapoor came to Arjun's defense and expressed his dismay at the situation, drawing parallels to the overwhelming fan frenzy often seen in South Indian cinema.
"Ticket rates are inflated on the first two days or at least the first day for extra shows. That is why this situation has arisen where, unnecessarily, Allu Arjun was dragged and blamed for the death of a fan."