The Hyderabad city police has released a video prepared detailing the timeline of the December 4 stampede at Sandhya Theatre. Pushpa 2which resulted in the death of Revathi and serious injuries to her son Sritej.
According to the nine-minute video released by the police, the sequence of events began on December 2 when Sandhya Theater manager Nagaraju applied to Chikkadapally ACP L Ramesh Kumar for permission for a special benefit show with Allu on December 4. Arjun was present. Chikkadapally ACP forwarded it to Chikkadapally Station House Officer (SHO) B Raju Naik. The next day, SHO Naik personally inspected the theater and the surrounding streets, concluding that the area could not handle the expected crowd of fans. The officer gave a written instruction to the theater management not to allow Allu Arjun to attend the event.
On the night of December 4, the situation quickly unfolded. At around 9:15 am, actor Allu Arjun’s daughter and father-in-law arrived at the theatre. As the gates were opened to admit them, the crowd surged forward, almost resulting in a stampede. After some time, Allu Arjun’s son arrived. At around 9:25 pm, Revathi and her son Shreetej entered the premises but got separated from the family members as the crowd grew. Revathi and her son managed to reach the lower balcony, but she was desperately calling someone on her phone, indicating distress.
Meanwhile, the situation outside worsened. At around 9:28 pm, Allu Arjun’s car passed the Musheerabad Metro station and the actor was seen waving to fans with the sunroof open, which led to a sudden rush of people towards the theatre. At 9:35 PM Allu Arjun entered the Sandhya Theatre, accompanied by a private security team of around 40 to 50 personnel. The heavy crowd pressed against the lower balcony gate, eventually breaking it. Because of this, there was a rush of people trying to get in, which led to a stampede.
As Allu Arjun reached the upper balcony through the stairs, Revathi and Shreetej fell into the crowd below. They collapsed due to suffocation. The police officers present at the scene intervened and dragged the unconscious mother and son out of the crowd through the broken grill gate. SHO B Raju Naik and ACP L Ramesh Kumar administered CPR before taking them to hospital.
At 10:45 am, ACP Kumar returned to the theater and made several attempts to inform Allu Arjun about the incident. However, the actor’s manager Santosh insisted on relaying the message personally. Despite being informed about Revathi’s death and her son’s critical condition, the manager did not take immediate steps to remove the actor from the venue.
At 11:15 am, ACP Kumar finally spoke directly to Allu Arjun, gave details of the events and asked him to leave the premises. However, the actor decided to stay till the end of the movie. By 11:40 pm, the DCP intervened once again, directing manager Allu Arjun to exit the theater immediately. Ten minutes later, the police began clearing the crowd and traffic outside the venue to provide safe passage for the artist’s convoy.
Finally, at 12:05 am on December 5, the DCP escorted Allu Arjun out of Sandhya Theatre.
A timeline of events
December 2:
At 5:35 pm, Sandhya Theater manager Nagaraju submitted an application to Chikkadapally ACP L Ramesh Kumar’s office regarding Allu Arjun’s visit for a special show on December 4. The application was sent to SHO B. Raju Naik.
December 3:
SHO B Raju Naik personally inspected the theater and the nearby roads, they could not accommodate the expected huge crowd. Actor Allu Arjun and actress Rashmika Mandanna were given written instructions to the theater management to cancel their appearance for public safety.
December 4:
Despite the instructions, events took a disastrous turn in the evening.
— 9:15 pm: Allu Arjun’s family members start arriving at the theatre, his daughter and father-in-law enter first in a white SUV, followed by his son in a black SUV. As soon as the gate opened, the crowd swelled, creating a near stampede.
— 9:25 pm: Revathi and her son Sritej, who were present at the event, entered the premises but got separated due to chaos.
— 9:28 to 9:34 pm: Allu Arjun’s car spotted near Musheerabad metro station. The actor waved to fans through the sunroof, fueling the frenzy.
— 9:35 pm: With a private security team of 40-50 personnel, Allu Arjun entered the theatre.
The pressure on the lower balcony gate caused it to collapse, causing a stampede.
At around 10:45 pm, ACP L Ramesh Kumar returned to the theater to inform Allu Arjun about the tragedy. However, his manager Santosh intervened by promising to inform the authorities. Despite several warnings from the police about the escalating situation, Allu Arjun watched the film, agreeing to leave only after the screening was over.
Around 11:40 am, the DCP intervened, asking Allu Arjun to leave the premises. After further delays, the actor was escorted out at 12:05 am on December 5, with police clearing the theater and nearby streets to ensure a smooth exit.
published – December 22, 2024 at 09:09 hrs IST