Telangana High Court Grants Temporary Bail to Allu Arjun in Theatre Stampede Incident
Click to start listening
Hyderabad, Dec 13 (NationPress) The Telangana High Court has granted temporary bail to Tollywood actor Allu Arjun on Friday, just moments after a local court ordered him to be held in judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a tragic stampede at a theatre during the premiere screening of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, which resulted in the death of a woman.
The High Court approved the interim bail for a duration of four weeks while addressing the quash petition filed by the actor. The court mandated that he provide a personal bond worth Rs 50,000 to the Jail Superintendent.
The pan-Indian star received this relief even as police were in the process of transferring him to Chanchalguda Jail from the Nampally Criminal Court Complex.
It remains uncertain when the actor will be released later tonight (Friday night) or if he will have to wait until Saturday.
For full bail, Allu Arjun was instructed to approach the Nampally Court.
The High Court took on the hearing of the quash petition following a request from Allu Arjun’s legal representatives after his arrest earlier that day.
The actor’s lawyer, S. Niranjan Reddy, contended that the actor should not be held accountable for the stampede. He also pointed out to the court that the theatre management and producer had notified the police in advance of Allu Arjun's visit.
Niranjan Reddy referred to a similar incident involving a 2017 stampede at Vadodara Railway Station during actor Shah Rukh Khan’s promotional train journey for his film ‘Raees’.
The Gujarat High Court had dismissed a complaint against Shah Rukh Khan regarding the stampede that resulted in one death and several injuries, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Public Prosecutor informed the court that Allu Arjun arrived at the theatre despite prior warnings from police about the potential for a large crowd. The court was made aware that the actor came to the theatre in a rally.
The police arrested the National Award-winning actor from his home in Hyderabad and presented him before a magistrate at the Nampally Criminal Court complex. He was designated as accused number 11 in the ongoing case.
The Ninth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate ordered the actor to be held in judicial custody until December 27.
Earlier, police had recorded the actor's statement at the Chikkadpally Police Station before taking him to Gandhi Hospital for a medical examination.
A woman lost her life, and her son sustained serious injuries during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere attended by Allu Arjun on December 4.
A police team apprehended the national award-winning actor from his residence in Jubilee Hills just hours after he returned from Delhi, where he participated in a success meeting for ‘Pushpa 2’.
Allu Arjun's father, renowned filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish, and other family members were present during his arrest.
The police team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav, interrogated Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in light of witness testimonies.
The police have charged Allu Arjun, his security personnel, and the theatre management under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS. The case was filed at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 based on a complaint from the deceased woman’s husband. The theatre owner, general manager, and security manager were arrested on December 8.
Authorities stated there was no prior notice from either the theatre management or the actor's team regarding their visit, and the theatre management failed to implement additional security measures to handle the crowd.
