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The actor is an extremely popular name in the Telugu film industry
Indian police arrested popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun in connection with a crush during the premiere of his latest film earlier this month.
A 39-year-old woman was killed and her son seriously injured during a crush at the screening of Pushpa 2 in the southern city of Hyderabad on December 4.
Chaos erupted when the actor made a surprise appearance at the Sandhya Theater at the end of the screening.
The police had filed a complaint against the actor, his security team and the theater management for intentional homicide.
The owner and two employees of the theater have already been arrested.
On Friday, police arrived at the actor's house and took him into custody, after which he was produced before a local court.
Accidents involving large crowds are often reported in India, where lax safety measures and crowd management have led to deaths in the past. But it's unusual for big celebrities to be arrested in cases like this.
Pushpa 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, released in theaters earlier this month
Police say Allu Arjun arrived at the theater at 9:30 p.m. IST using the main entrance.
“There was no indication from the theater management or the team of actors that they would visit the theater,” said Hyderabad police chief CV Anand.
The actor's team also did not have a separate entrance or exit and no additional arrangements were made to manage the crowd. “His personal security team began pushing and shoving the audience, which further aggravated the situation as there was already a large gathering at the theater,” police said in a statement.
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His appearance at the screening of his latest film would have caused chaos
As chaos erupted, a 39-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son were removed from the crowd because they felt “choked”, police said.
They immediately received emergency first aid, before being transported to hospital for further treatment.
While the woman died in hospital, her son was transferred to another hospital where he is still undergoing treatment.
The actor is yet to comment on the police allegations.
But shortly after the incident, he took to X, formerly Twitter, saying he was “heartbroken by this tragic incident.”
“My deepest condolences go out to the grieving family during this incredibly difficult time. I want to assure them that they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally,” he wrote.
He then announced 2.5 million rupees ($29,480; £23,346) in aid for the woman's family and promised to cover his son's medical expenses.
Mythri Movie Makers, the studio behind the film, also released a statement saying, “We are committed to supporting them and providing them with all possible support during this difficult time.”
Arjun had approached the court earlier this week to quash the police case filed against him, but the matter is yet to be heard.
