An Indian actor has been arrested after his appearance at a film screening allegedly sparked a stampede of fans that crushed a woman to death, according to police and local media.
Large crowds had gathered this month at a theater in the southern city of Hyderabad to watch actor Allu Arjun as he arrived for the screening of his film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
The 42-year-old has been detained on suspicion of three offences, including voluntarily causing harm with weapons or dangerous means, a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP.
The officer added that seven other people have already been arrested in the case.
A video on the social media platform
He kisses his wife on the cheek before being escorted by officers to the waiting police car, while a crowd of dozens of people films the scene.
The victim of the December 4 stampede was a woman in her 30s, named locally as a mother named Revati.
She was reportedly attending the screening with her husband and two young children.
Indian actor Allu Arjun poses for photographs while attending a promotional event for his upcoming Indian film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ in Mumbai
A video on social media platform X, shared by broadcaster TV9, showed officers arriving at his home to arrest him.
The victim (above right) was reportedly attending the screening with her husband and two young children.
The actor had a coffee while speaking with the agents who arrived at his house.
Arjun kissed his wife on the cheek before being escorted by officers to a waiting police car, while a crowd of dozens of people filmed the scene.
While her husband and daughter escaped the attack, the couple’s nine-year-old son was seriously injured and is receiving treatment in hospital.
The woman’s family later filed a complaint against Arjun, his security team and the theater management, media outlet India Today reported.
Arjun said he was “deeply heartbroken” two days after the accident and shared an X-video addressed to the family the next day.
‘Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. “My deepest condolences to the bereaved family during this unimaginably difficult time,” he wrote in X.
“I want to assure you that you are not alone in this pain and that you will be reunited with the family in person,” he added.
“While I respect their need for a space to grieve, I am committed to providing them with every assistance possible to help them navigate this challenging journey.”
Arjun is very popular in South India, and the Pushpa film franchise has earned millions at the box office, with the first film being the biggest Telugu box office hit ever.
Its star won the best actor award at India’s National Film Awards for his lead role in the first installment of the series, released two years ago.
Arjun said he was “deeply heartbroken” two days after the accident.
Telugu film actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna during the trailer launch of their upcoming film ‘Pushpa 2’.
It tells the story of a humble worker turned international smuggling kingpin, and the second installment is equally action-packed.
The much-awaited film broke box office records even before its release, and fans flocked to its screenings across India.