Allu Arjun: Bail for Indian star arrested for fan’s death in crowd crush

A popular Indian actor was arrested and later released on bail after a man was crushed to death at the premiere of his film.

Allu Arjun, one of the biggest stars of the Telugu film industry, made a surprise appearance at the screening in Hyderabad city last week.

A 39-year-old woman died and her son was seriously injured in the accident.

A court had initially sentenced the actor to 14 days in police custody, but the High Court granted him bail a few hours later.

The police had registered a case of culpable homicide against the actor, his security team and the management staff of the theatre.

Earlier, the theater owner and two employees were arrested.

On Friday, the police reached the actor’s house and took him into custody, after which he was produced before a local court.

Crowd accidents are frequently reported in India, where deaths occur due to safety measures and poor crowd management. But it is unusual for big celebrities to be arrested in such cases.

Pushpa 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, hit theaters earlier this month.

Allu Arjun arrived at the theater at 21:30 local time (16:00GMT) through the main entrance, police said.

“There was no information from the theater management or the actor’s team that he would be visiting,” Hyderabad police chief CV Anand said.

“His personal security team started pushing the crowd which worsened the situation as there was already a huge gathering in the theatre,” a police statement said.

Arjun’s lawyer told the court that the actor cannot be held responsible for the incident and that the crush took place on a different floor from where he was.

As chaos broke out, a 39-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son were pulled out of the crowd because they felt “suffocating”, police said.

He was given first aid before being taken to hospital.

While the woman died on the spot, her son was shifted to another hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

Soon after the incident, Allu Arjun wrote on X that he was “heartbroken by the tragic incident”.

“My deepest condolences go out to the grieving family at this unimaginably difficult time. I want to reassure them that they are not alone in their pain and will meet with the family in person,” he wrote.

He later announced 2.5 million rupees ($29,480; £23,346) in aid to the woman’s family and promised to take care of her son’s medical expenses.

Maithri Movie Makers, the studio behind the film, also released a statement saying, “We are committed to stand by them and provide all possible support during this difficult time.”