Sandhya Theatre stampede: 'Pushpa 2' star Allu Arjun visits young fan Sri Tej at KIMS Hospital

Sri Tej got injured in the deadly stampede-like situation as Allu Arjun's ardent fans thronged the theatre to catch a glimpse of the actor during the 'Pushpa 2' premiere on December 4.

Hyderabad: Top Telugu actor Allu Arjun on Tuesday visited the boy, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital here after suffering serious injury in a stampede at the premiere of his latest film, Pushpa 2.

Arjun spent about 10 minutes there enquiring about the health condition of the boy Sritej, sources said.

During the actor's visit to the hospital, producer and Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, was also present. Police made heavy security arrangements at the hospital to prevent any untoward incidents during the actor's visit.

Earlier, Arjun was scheduled to visit the hospital on January 5 but the plan was cancelled.

The actor is named as accused No 11 in the case filed after a woman died and her eight-year-old son sustained serious injuries in the stampede on December 4.

The SHO of Ramgopalpet Police Station had issued a notice to Arjun regarding his proposed visit to the hospital and advised him to keep it confidential so that public order could be maintained in and around the hospital.

The SHO said police would make necessary arrangements for his visit.

A medical bulletin released by the hospital on Tuesday said Sritej is maintaining his vital parameters well without any extraneous support. He has remained afebrile (not having fever) for last few days, his antibiotics have been stopped, it said. He continues to tolerate nasogastric feeds well and is receiving supportive therapies, it added.

"His (Sritej) agitative episodes and dystonia have reduced but still present. His sensorium remains the same with intermittent spontaneous eye opening and crying without meaningful eye contact or consistent response to verbal stimuli," the hospital said in a health update.

Arjun's father and leading producer Allu Aravind recently said Arjun (Rs 1 crore), Pushpa production company Mytri Movie Makers (Rs 50 lakh), and the film’s director Sukumar (Rs 50 lakh) have extended financial assistance to support the boy's family.

During a recent visit to the hospital, Aravind handed over the cheques to Dil Raju, requesting him to convey it to the boy’s family. He explained that legal constraints prevented direct interaction with the family without prior clearance.

The stampede occurred at Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad on December 4 as fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor during the Pushpa 2 premiere.

Following the tragedy, a case was registered against Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management at the Chikkadpally police station. The charges were filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint by the deceased woman’s family.

The actor was arrested on December 13 in connection with the case. However, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail on December 14. He was granted regular bail by a city court on January 3.