Hyderabad: The death of a woman and injuries to others during a stampede at a benefit show for Pushpa 2 – The Rise in a city theatre has reignited debates on public safety, crowd control, and conduct of high-profile events.
The incident occurred at Sandhya Theatre when Allu Arjun, the lead actor of the film, made a surprise appearance, drawing a massive crowd that overwhelmed the premises.
Revathi, a 38-year-old woman, lost her life in the stampede, while her son Sri Tej is critical, and a young girl, Shanvi, remains hospitalised.
The tragedy has led to public outcry, with protestors demanding accountability from the government, police and theatre management.
Members of SFI and DYFI staged a demonstration outside Sandhya theatre, calling for a ban on benefit shows and stricter safety measures for public events. Several others joined them.
Protestors criticised the state government for permitting benefit shows of blockbuster films and allowing ticket price hikes, which they said prioritised profit over public safety.
“Events like this turn entertainment into a tragedy. The government must ban all benefit shows and enact laws to regulate such events,” said DYFI state secretary Anaganti Venkatesh.
They also demanded criminal charges against Sandhya theatre management for negligence and failure to ensure crowd safety. They called for their immediate arrests and compensation of Rs.1 crore to Revathi’s family and better medical care for the injured.
A protester demanded that a case be filed against Allu Arjun for his unannounced visit, which had caused chaos.
The demonstration turned tense when police intervened and arrested the protestors and shifted them to the Kanchanbagh police station.
