Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Sandhya 70MM Theatre, seeking an explanation for negligence that led to the tragic death of a woman and injuries to her 9-year-old son during the premiere of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'.  

The stampede occurred on December 4 when actor Allu Arjun and the film’s lead actress made an unannounced visit to the theatre during the premiere. The sudden influx of fans caused overcrowding, leaving 35-year-old Mogudampalli Revathi and her young son Tej suffocated. Despite police efforts to save them, Revathi was declared dead at the hospital, while her son was critically injured and required further treatment.  

The show cause notice issued by Police Commissioner C V Anand highlighted multiple lapses by the theatre management, including failure to notify the police about the actors’ visit and inadequate crowd management arrangements.  

Theatre’s negligence under scrutiny  

Key failures identified in the notice include:  

  • Lack of ticket verification, allowing unauthorised entry and overcrowding.  
  • Inadequate security measures, such as a single metal detector and no frisking for women.  
  • Poor infrastructure, including a lower balcony gate that could not handle crowd pressure.  
  • Insufficient parking arrangements and failure to manage crowds at the main gates.  

The notice also criticised the theatre for unauthorised installations like flex boards and lighting, which encouraged large gatherings, and private security personnel blocking public passages, worsening the chaos.  

Renuka Devi, the theatre’s licensee, has been given 10 days to respond to the notice explaining why the cinematograph license should not be cancelled.  

Legal action against actor and others  

A case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station under relevant sections of the BNS Act. Actor Allu Arjun, listed as the 11th accused, was arrested on December 13 and sent to judicial custody. However, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail the same day.  

Three other accused arrested earlier in the case have also been released on bail. The police continue their investigation to ensure accountability for the lapses that led to the tragedy.  

IANS