On December 4, 2024, a tragic incident occurred at Sandhya 70MM in Hyderabad during the special premiere screening of Icon Star Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule. The actor visited the theatre along with other cast and crew, which led to an unexpected stampede, claiming the life of 35-year-old Revathi. Her 8-year-old son, Sri Tej, was critically injured.
The theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his security team were booked under Sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The actor was arrested and later released on interim bail within a few hours. The theatre owner and manager were also arrested. Later, Allu Arjun and the Pushpa 2 team extended financial assistance to the victim’s family.
The issue has once again come back into the spotlight as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued show-cause notices to the Telangana Chief Secretary (CS). The NHRC expressed dissatisfaction with the report submitted by the police department regarding the incident. NHRC questioned the Telangana CS as to why the victim’s family should not be compensated with Rs. 5 lakhs.
“In the report, it was mentioned that the police did not grant permission for the premiere show. Without permission, how could the actor and audience attend the screening? Had proper measures been taken, the stampede might have been avoided. The investigation should be carried out thoroughly and without any bias, and the report must be submitted within six weeks,” the NHRC ordered the CS.