Hyderabad:The Sandhya theatre management on Tuesday approached the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR filed by the police in the December 4 stampede case which had resulted in the death of Revati and serious injuries to her son Sri Tej.
The Chikkadpally police had filed FIR No. 376 of 2024 on the basis of a complaint by Revati’s husband M. Bhaskar. Police have since arrested three employees at the theatre.
The petition was filed by Sandhya Cine Enterprise 70 MM, represented by its partners M. Renuka Devi, M. Sumeeth alias M. Mittu, Agamati Vinay Kumar Reddy, A. Ram Reddy, A. Ashutosh Reddy, A. Aruna Reddy, and another person anmed A. Ram Reddy.
Counsel for the petitioners submitted that the show was arranged not by the petitioners but by the distributor, in accordance with the orders granted by the state government for a benefit show.
The theatre was under the possession and control of the movie distributor, Mythri Distributors LLP, for two days —on December 4, when the stampede occurred, and December 5.
Counsel said the petitioners, despite the distributor having taken over the theatre, had representations to the ACP, station house officer and the traffic police station of Chikkadpally, requesting bandobast on the two days control the huge crowds that were expected to be present.
Counsel claimed that despite this, only some police personnel were present at the premises.
Counsel said none of the sections listed by the police were relevant: Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal act by several persons. The petitioners did not intend to causing death nor they had any knowledge that it was likely to cause death.
