The Hyderabad police questioned Pushpa 2 star Allu Arjun for over three hours on Tuesday in connection with the death of a woman at the Sandhya theatre during the screening of the now-blockbuster film. The Telugu star reached the Chikkadpally police station accompanied by his father Allu Aravind and lawyers a little after 11 am. He was questioned till 2:45 pm.
Allu Arjun was questioned by a police team led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav. The actor was issued a notice on December 23 to appear before the police at 11 am.
Tight security arrangements were made at the Chikkadpally police station ahead of the actor’s appearance. Heavy police deployment was in place, and traffic restrictions were imposed on roads leading to the police station.
The police, in their notice, stated that Allu Arjun's presence was essential before the Station House Officer of Chikkadpally police station to provide answers regarding the stampede incident and, if necessary, to visit the scene of the offence to ascertain the facts.
Earlier in the day, security was increased at Allu Arjun's residence in Jubilee Hills. He had previously stated his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
The notice to Allu Arjun, issued on December 23, followed the release of a video by Police Commissioner C V Anand, which showed the sequence of events at the Sandhya Theatre. A 35-year-old woman died during the stampede at the theatre on December 4, and her eight-year-old son was hospitalised.
Following the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Chikkadpally police station, based on a complaint from the deceased woman's family.
Allu Arjun, named as accused number 11, was arrested by the city police in connection with the woman's death on December 13. The Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail on the same day, and he was released from prison on the morning of December 14.