Indian film star arrested in connection of death of fan

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Indian star Allu Arjun was arrested in Hyderabad, a week after a stampede at a screening of Pushpa 2 claimed the life of a woman and left her son seriously injured.

The incident occurred at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4 when an unannounced appearance at the venue by Arjun, alongside his security detail, sparked a rush of people that resulted in a stampede. A 35-year-old woman named Revathi died as a result of the incident, while her nine-year-old son is still undergoing treatment, also three people, including a co-partner of the theatre, were initially arrested and Arjun was taken into custody today after a case was registered by police against the actor, his security team and the theatre management following a complaint lodged by the family of the deceased woman.

"The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors team, though the theatre management had information about their arrival," police said.

On December 6, Arjun posted on X: "Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally. While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extend every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey."

The actor has also pledged nearly $30,000 (INR2.5m) to support the family of the deceased and said he would cover medical costs for her son.

In an accompanying video, he said: "Our intention is to provide good entertainment for you in your lives. Please, my kind request is that, when you go to theatres, please be a little careful. Please come back home safe."

Puspha 2 has become India's highest grossing film of 2024, taking $125.8m after a week on release. The Telegu-language action drama is directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers. The first film became India's biggest box office title of 2021 and won Arjun best actor at the country's National Film Awards.