Following the attack at Allu Arjun’s Hyderabad residence, the legal team of the ‘Pushpa’ actor was seen entering his residence at Jubilee Hills on Monday evening.
In visuals circulating on the internet, a group of lawyers was seen entering Allu Arjun’s home with bags and folders in hand. According to DCP West Zone, Hyderabad, on the evening of December 22, several individuals holding placards suddenly rushed to the actor’s residence in Jubilee Hills.
They began shouting slogans, and one person climbed onto the compound wall and started throwing stones. Security staff intervened, resulting in an altercation as they attempted to persuade the protestors to get down from the wall. The individuals eventually climbed down, but they manhandled the security staff and damaged flower pots placed along the ramp. Six individuals, who claimed to be part of the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OU-JAC), were taken into custody.
The six accused involved in vandalising Allu Arjun’s residence were granted bail today.
The controversy stems from an incident on December 4, when Allu Arjun attended the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at the Sandhya Theatre. A massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor, and chaos ensued when he waved to fans from the sunroof of his car. This led to the tragic death of a woman named Revathi and injuries to her child.
Following the incident, Allu Arjun was arrested and later released on bail after furnishing a Rs 50,000 bond.
In the latest development, Pushpa 2 producers Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar handed over a Rs 50 lakh cheque to Revathi’s family in the presence of Telangana Minister for Roads & Buildings and Cinematography, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, at KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad. The cheque was received by Revathi’s husband, the father of Sri Tej, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Producer Naveen Yerneni stated, “This is a very unfortunate incident. We have been deeply saddened since the day it happened. We cannot express our feelings. Revathi’s death is a significant loss for the family. We visited the boy in the hospital, and he is recovering. The doctors are doing their best. We want to support the family, and this cheque is part of that effort.”
The incident has sparked political controversy, with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy blaming Allu Arjun for the tragedy. Addressing the Assembly, Reddy revealed that police had denied permission for any event at Sandhya Theatre due to safety concerns.
“On December 2, Akbaruddin Owaisi requested arrangements for the cast and crew of Pushpa 2 to attend the premiere at Sandhya Theatre on December 4,” Reddy said.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Pushpa 2 producers Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar handed over a Rs 50 lakh cheque to the family of the woman, who died at Sandhya theatre on December 4, during the premiere of Allu Arjun’s film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ in the presence of Telangana… pic.twitter.com/hTLf01nqwh
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2024
“However, on December 3, the Chikkadpally Circle Inspector rejected the request in writing, citing the theatre’s location in a congested area with only one entry and exit point, making it difficult to ensure safety. Despite this, the actor attended the event, climbed onto his car roof, and conducted a roadshow, worsening the situation.” The Chief Minister further elaborated on how the police intervened during the stampede.
“The ACP initially requested the actor to leave to control the crowd, but he refused, stating he would leave after watching the movie. The DCP later had to intervene, warning that he would be arrested if he didn’t comply. Even while leaving, he repeated the act of climbing onto the car roof and waving to fans.”
Reacting to the December 4 incident, Allu Arjun expressed his condolences. “It was a tragic accident, and my heart goes out to the family. I’ve been monitoring the condition of the injured child, and I’m relieved to hear he is improving. There has been a lot of misinformation and false allegations. I do not wish to blame any department or politician. This is deeply distressing for me.”
The actor dismissed allegations of misconduct, describing them as an attempt at “character assassination.” He added, “I have worked in the film industry for 20 years, and this incident has been devastating. I haven’t even watched my film in the theatre despite working on it for three years. I deeply apologise for the incident but want to clarify that I had no direct involvement in the unfortunate events.” Allu Arjun was last seen in Pushpa 2, directed by Sukumar.
