Sandhya Theatre admin requested police presence at Pushpa 2 show, leaked letter has fans questioning Allu Arjun's arrest

Allu Arjun was arrested by the Chikkadapally police in Hyderabad on Friday, December 13, in connection to a death during the premiere of his latest film Pushpa 2: The Rule. The police claim that no prior intimation was given to them by the actor or the theatre management but a letter from the Sandhya Theatre management seeking permission was leaked online. (Also Read: Chiranjeevi visits Allu Arjun's home with wife Surekha after his arrest for fan death during Pushpa 2 premiere. Watch)

Sandhya Theatre management’s permission letter

The leaked letter shows the management of Sandhya Theatre at RTC X Roads requesting the Chikkadapally police to provide police bandobast for December 4 and 5 at their theatre.

The letter dated December 2 reads, “We request you to arrange Police Babdobast at Sandhya 70 MM RTC ‘X’ Roads, Hyderabad, in connection with the release of Pushpa - 2 on 04-12-2024 because there will be heavy fans crowd. The Hero, Heroine and VIPs and Production unit of the film are coming to see the movie.”

The letter goes on to inform the police that Pushpa 2: The Rule will be screened at the theatre at 9:30 PM on December 4 and have four shows on December 5. The letter has been signed and stamped by the Chikadapally assistant police commissioner. The police is yet to address the veracity of the letter.

What the police had claimed

On December 4, Arjun visited Sandhya Theatre with his wife Allu Sneha Reddy, co-star Rashmika Mandanna and other film team members. They left the movie midway because Arjun claims they were told the crowd was getting hard to control. However, his visit resulted in a stampede leaving one woman dead and her young son hospitalised in critical condition. Arjun has since apologised and promised to help the victim’s family monetarily.

The police registered a case against Arjun and the management of Sandhya Theatre at Chikkadpally police station under sections 105, 118 (1) and other relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

“No arrangements were made by the theatre management or no prior information was available about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film. His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre,” the police told PTI after a case was filed.