Allu Arjun grilled by cops for 4 hours, Bouncer arrested

Top Telugu actor Allu Arjun was on Tuesday quizzed for four hours by the Chikkadpally police in Hyderabad, in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the screening of ‘Pushpa-2’ in the city on December 4.

Meanwhile, the police arrested Allu Arjun’s bouncer, Anthony. He was identified as the one who organised all the other bouncers at the Sandhya Theatre. Anthony was also accused of pushing Allu Arjun’s fans and would be taken to the stampede spot for the recreation of the scene.

The actor’s father Allu Arvind and his father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar were present at the police station while the actor was being grilled. Arjun attended the questioning along with his lawyer Ashok Reddy.

Amid questioning, CCTV footage from the theatre surfaced, showing a huge crowd barging inside the theatre despite security staff trying to direct people from entering the premises in a proper manner. At one point, a man is seen with a wooden stick trying to stop the crowd from barging inside but is being jostled and pushed by the people.

Sources said that today Arjun was asked whether the theatre management had given him permission in advance to visit Sandhya Theatre, where the stampede occurred, for the premiere of his movie. The actor was also asked if he or his public relations team had got police permission to visit the theatre and the number of bouncers he arranged for the visit, sources said. He was questioned whether his public relations team had briefed him on the situation at the theatre in advance, they added. Allu Arjun may be questioned again whenever the investigating officer demands in the Sandhya Theatre stampede case, hints sources.

Arjun was issued a notice to appear before the police on Tuesday as part of the ongoing probe into the stampede during the screening of Pushpa 2 on December 4. He was asked to appear at 11 am. The actor had earlier said he would cooperate with the investigation.

There was heavy security outside Arjun's home as police barricaded the area to prevent a repeat of Sunday's incident, when a group of men, claiming to be Osmania University students, barged into the residence and vandalised the property.