Allu Arjun Released from Jail Following Overnight Stay

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (NationPress) - The acclaimed Tollywood star Allu Arjun emerged from Chanchalguda Central Jail on Saturday morning after spending a night in custody due to his involvement in a case concerning a tragic stampede that occurred at a theater during the premiere of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'.

The actor was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court on Friday evening, just an hour after a lower court sentenced him to 14 days of judicial custody. He remained in jail overnight because of a delay in the prison authorities receiving the bail order.

Upon his release, the national award-winning actor exited through the rear gate of the prison, traveling in an escort vehicle.

Following his release, Allu Arjun headed straight to the Geeta Arts office and was expected to return to his home in Jubilee Hills later in the day.

Law enforcement has established strict security measures around his residence.

Earlier, there was uncertainty regarding his release on Friday night.

The jail authorities reported that they received the bail order late that evening, and per prison regulations, inmates cannot be released during nighttime hours, necessitating his release the following morning.

Allu Arjun spent the night in the Manjeera block, a privilege granted by the Nampally Court that remanded him on Friday.

A significant number of his fans lingered outside the jail until late at night, eagerly awaiting his release.

The actor's legal team submitted a personal bond of Rs 50,000 to the Jail Superintendent as instructed by the High Court.

The High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks while directing the police to continue their investigation.

Additionally, the court mandated that the actor cooperate with the ongoing inquiry.

The stampede, which took place at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere attended by Allu Arjun on December 4, resulted in the death of a woman and left her son severely injured.

The police have filed charges under Sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theater management.

This interim bail concluded a day filled with dramatic events that began with the actor's arrest at his residence in Jubilee Hills on Friday morning.

Bail orders were issued in the evening, shortly after a city court placed Allu Arjun in judicial custody for 14 days.

The High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the petition for quashing the charges.

This pan-Indian actor received this reprieve even as the police were in the process of transferring him to Chanchalguda Jail from the Nampally Criminal Court Complex.

The High Court also granted interim bail to three members of the theater management who were apprehended earlier in connection with this case.

The Public Prosecutor raised objections to the granting of interim bail, and the court has postponed further hearings until December 21.

During the hearing regarding the quashing of the petition, Allu Arjun's attorney argued that BNS Section 105 does not pertain to him as he was not responsible for the stampede.

S. Niranjan Reddy, the actor's counsel, contended that the actor should not be held accountable for the incident, emphasizing that the theater management and producer had notified the police in advance of Allu Arjun's attendance.

He referenced a similar case from 2017 involving a stampede at Vadodara Railway Station during Shah Rukh Khan's promotional train journey for the movie 'Raees'.

The Gujarat High Court had dismissed the complaint against Shah Rukh Khan concerning that incident, which resulted in one death and several injuries, a ruling later upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Public Prosecutor informed the court that Allu Arjun went to the theater despite police advising against it due to the potential for a large crowd.

The court learned that the actor arrived at the theater amidst a rally. The police arrested the national award-winning actor at 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 case.

Earlier, police recorded Allu Arjun's statement at Chikkadpally Police Station, after which he was taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical examination.