Today, the Telangana High Court granted interim bail to actor Allu Arjun amid the tragic stampede at Sandhya Theatre, which resulted in one death. The judge emphasized that Arjun’s profession shouldn’t negate his rights and questioned direct responsibility. The victim’s husband expressed willingness to drop charges, stating Arjun wasn’t at fault for attending the screening.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday (Dec 13th) granted interim bail to actor Allu Arjun in connection with the tragic stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4. The incident resulted in the death of a woman, Revathi, and left her son critically injured. The court’s decision came after Arjun was placed under 14-day judicial custody.
Justice Krishna Dixit stated,
“Merely because he is an actor, he cannot be deprived of his fundamental rights. As a citizen of this earth, he too has the right to life and liberty.”
Read Also: Allu Arjun Moves High Court || Seeks Quashing of FIR Over ‘Pushpa 2’ Premiere Tragedy
The court’s detailed deliberations highlighted the complexity of the case. The Public Prosecutor (PP) argued that Arjun and others were aware of the large crowd’s presence, which could have led to untoward incidents. However, the defense countered that no formal permission for the event was granted, and the police had been informed in advance.
The judge questioned,
“Are the offences under Sections 105(b) and 108 applicable to the petitioner solely because he is an actor? Is he directly responsible for the tragedy that occurred?”
The court emphasized that without sufficient grounds, custodial investigation was unnecessary at this stage.
The defense argued, “Had the police presence been adequate, the tragedy might have been avoided.” Advocate Komireddy, representing the theatre management, stated,
“The authorities were notified of Allu Arjun’s attendance, and a government order authorized the screening.”
Additionally, Bhaskar, the husband of the deceased woman, expressed his willingness to withdraw the case. He told reporters,
“We only went to Sandhya Theatre that day because my son wanted to watch the movie. It’s not Allu Arjun’s fault that he visited the theatre that day. I am ready to withdraw my case. Police didn’t inform me of his arrest, I watched it on the news at the hospital. He (Arjun) has nothing to do with stampede.”
Read Also: BREAKING | Allu Arjun ARRESTED After Pushpa 2 Stampede Leaves One Dead, Sparks Outrage!
Bhaskar emphasized that his family’s visit to the theatre was driven by his son’s desire to watch the movie, absolving the actor of direct responsibility for the incident.
The court noted that the ingredients of the alleged offences were not prima facie satisfied and highlighted the absence of evidence directly implicating Arjun.
“While we have deep sympathy for the family of the deceased woman, the question remains whether blame can be attributed to the accused,”
the judge remarked.
The Public Prosecutor maintained that a life had been lost and that the case required thorough investigation. However, the court asserted that “a person cannot be held responsible merely because of their profession.”
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE