The condition of eight-year-old Sritej, who was critically injured in the stampede during the screening of Pushpa-2 at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, is improving, reported PTI.
Hospital officials reported that the boy, who was initially on oxygen and ventilator support, was taken off both two days ago. His vital signs are stable, though he still does not recognize family members. Sritej is able to respond to verbal stimuli but does not follow oral commands. The hospital confirmed that he is tolerating feeds well and has been afebrile for the past three days.
"His sensorium is similar with spontaneous eye opening and spontaneous limb movements but there is still no meaningful eye contact or recognition of family members," it said in a health update. The boy is waking on verbal stimulus but not following any oral commands. He is tolerating feeds via nasogastric tube well and is afbrile since last three days, the hospital said.
The 35-year-old mother of Sritej had died in the December 4 stampede.
Meanwhile, actor Allu Arjun, who is named as accused number 11 in the stampede case, was questioned by Hyderabad police on Tuesday in connection with the incident. He arrived at the Chikkadapally police station around 11 am and was interrogated for about three hours. Arjun was accompanied by his father, Allu Aravind, and his father-in-law, Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy. The questioning was led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav.
Following the tragic incident, a case was registered against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management based on the complaint filed by the deceased woman's family. On December 13, Arjun was arrested, but the Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail the same day, and he was released the following morning.
In an act of support to the family, Allu Arjun provided Bhaskar, the father of the injured boy, with a cheque for Rs 10 lakh. The Pushpa film production house and the state Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy also offered separate assistance. Bhaskar, expressing gratitude, clarified that he was not under any pressure to withdraw his complaint.
Leading film producer and Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Dil Raju has also offered Bhaskar a permanent job in the film industry if he is interested. Dil Raju emphasized that the immediate priority is the boy's recovery and noted that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has supported the initiative. A delegation from the film industry is set to meet the Chief Minister soon to discuss the issue and ensure the government's support.
The police investigation into the stampede continues, and Allu Arjun’s cooperation is seen as essential for clarifying the events surrounding the incident. As part of the investigation, the police served Arjun with a notice urging him to assist in uncovering the facts of the case.