Adequate bandobust arranged, Allu Arjun’s actions led to stampede: DCP

Hyderabad: Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Zone, Akshansh Yadav clarified a letter circulated in the media from Sandhya Cine Enterprises 70 MM to ACP Chikkadpally requesting bandobust on 4 December, 2024 for the Pushpa-2 release.
“We receive many requests for bandobust for visits by political personalities, film celebrities, and religious programs.However, we can’t provide bandobust for every event,” said DCP.
In cases of heavy crowds or a visiting VIP, the organizer visits the police station / ACP / DCP office to brief about the program for bandobust. “In this case the organizer did not meet any officer and submitted the letter in the inward section. No details were available to the police but we arranged suitable bandobust for crowd management outside the theatre,”said DCP Yadav.
Senior Counsel S NIranjan Reddy who represented Allu Arjun in Telangana High Court argued that there is on adequate police personnel deployed for the bandobust due to which the mishap happened.
DCP said the crowd was well in control till the actor arrived. When the actor came to the theatre, he came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the public. This gesture attracted a lot of people to the main gate. “At the same time, his private security pushed people to clear the way for his vehicle. His team was told to take him back due to the large gathering, but they didn’t act and Allu Arjun was inside the theatre for over two hours. Therefore, it is clear that adequate police arrangements were in place, and it was his actions that led to this unfortunate incident, where a lady died and her son was unconscious on a ventilator even after 9 days of the incident, said DCP Yadav in a statement.
DCP refutes claims of police misbehavior in Allu Arjun arrest
Addressing the allegation of police misbehavior with Allu Arjun, DCP said, “The claim that the police personnel misbehaved with Allu Arjun during the arrest is false. When police reached his residence, he requested time to change his clothes. He went inside his bedroom, police waited outside and took him into custody when he came out. There was no use of force or misbehavior. He had time to interact with his family and wife and he came out and entered the police vehicle.”
It is pertinent to note that the Nampally court sent the accused Allu Arjun to 14 days judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for a limited period, who was arrested in connection with the Sandhya Theatre stampede incident during the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere on Friday.