Actor Allu Arjun arrive at the Chikkadpally police station for questioning as part of an ongoing probe into the stampede during the screening of his movie 'Pushpa-2', in Hyderabad, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Allu Arjun was questioned on Tuesday for almost three and a half hours by the Chikkadpally police in connection with the Sandhya theatre stampede incident in which a woman died on the night of December 4.
Arjun, who was arrested earlier and is now on interim bail, was summoned by the police for questioning on Tuesday. In the bail order, the High Court had mentioned that the actor should cooperate with the police in the investigation.
The interrogation centered around Allu Arjun's entry into the theatre, exit, and the role of bouncers in crowd control near the star, according to sources close to the Chikkadapally police. Arjun was accompanied by his legal team led by Ashok Reddy, father-producer Allu Arvind, father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy, and close aide Bunny Vasu when he visited the police station.
Police reportedly asked at least 20 questions about the stampede incident. While he responded to many of them, Arjun is said to have skipped answering a few questions. Police also said to have showed the video footage they collected from the spot.
The police asked Arjun to identify the officers who had informed him about the death and the stampede. Earlier, the police claimed that they informed the actor about the death and the uncontrollable crowd situation outside the theatre on that night, and asked him to leave immediately.
However, Arjun claimed that no police approached him, and he only learnt about the death the next day. After recording the statement, police let Arjun go on Tuesday. Police sources also stated that they may summon him again if necessary.
The police also arrested Anthony, who is in charge of Arjun's security and oversees the actor's bouncers. Anthony was present on the night of the incident. It is learnt that police may take Anthony to Sandhya Theatre for scene reconstruction. The police have also implicated Mythri Moviemakers, the producers of the Pushpa movie, in the case as accused number 18. So far, police registered FIRs against 18 people, including Allu Arjun, his staff, and the management of Sandhya Theatre.