Hyderabad:
Telugu actor Allu Arjun's bail hearing in the Telangana High Court – after his arrest Friday in the 'Pushpa 2' stampede case – showed a parallel with an equally tragic incident involving Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and his film'Raees', which also left one person dead.
Arguing for bail for his client, Allu Arjun's lawyer recalled the 'Raees' stormed, arguing that the most important question before the court was: “…does someone do a rash or negligent act?” In this context, he spoke about the stampede involving SRK, saying that the Bollywood actor “threw clothes at the station, which led to a stampede”. In that case, he was found not criminally liable, Mr. Arjun's lawyer said.
It was also claimed that Allu Arjun was on the first floor of the Sandhya Theater in Hyderabad when the stampede took place on the ground floor. And the lawyer also denied police claims that they were not informed of the actor's plan to attend a special screening of his film.
“The actor was coming… everyone knew that. Even the police knew it. Here the actor didn't even do anything, while in SRK's case the actor threw balls and the crowd jumped up to grab them.”
The court ultimately ruled in Mr. Arjun's favor and granted him four weeks' interim bail. The court observed that Allu Arjun's status as a hugely popular actor could not jeopardize his right to freedom.
READ | “Just because he is an actor…”: Court grants bail to Allu Arjun
“…just because he is an actor…he cannot be detained in this manner,” the Supreme Court said.
The 'Raeesstampede took place at the railway station in Gujarat's Vadodara in 2017.
The actor and his production team traveled from Mumbai to Delhi to promote the film.
When the train stopped in Vadodara, Mr Khan tried to communicate with his fans; he threw t-shirts and 'smiley balls' at the crowd, and it was claimed this sparked the stampede.
READ | Shah Rukh Khan gets relief from Supreme Court in 2017 Stampede case
In April 2022, the Gujarat High Court ordered quashing of the criminal case against SRK. Later that year, the Supreme Court ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict.
Pushpa 2 Stampede
The stampede broke out after the actor gave an unplanned performance at the cinema where his film was being shown, according to police. A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son injured as the crowd jostled and pushed each other to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand had then said, “There was no indication on the part of the theater management or the acting team… that they will visit the theater…” and also noted that there was no separate entry or exit been. provided, even though the theater knew they were coming.
According to police, Mr. Arjun arrived at the theater at 9:30 p.m. As news of his arrival (he used the main entrance and spent 15 to 20 minutes outside) spread, hundreds of people crowded in to catch a glimpse of him. His security started pushing the crowd back and that worsened the situation.
READ | “Son wanted to watch Pushpa 2”: Man whose wife was murdered
The woman, identified as Revathi, and her son felt “suffocated,” police said. They were pulled from the crowd by police who administered first aid and took them to a nearby hospital.
However, Mr. Arjun's office and theater officials have maintained that the police had indeed been informed.
And hours after his arrest, a copy of just such a letter was released, informing police of plans for the film's stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana to visit the theater at 9:30 p.m.
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