HYDERABAD: Justice K. Sujana of the Telangana High Court has barred the police from arresting Pushpa 2 producers Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar and Yerneni Naveen.
The duo, associated with Mythri Movie Makers, sought relief from the court after being implicated in an incident that resulted in the death of a woman during a special screening of the film.
The tragic incident occurred on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre, located at RTC ‘X’ Roads. During the show, the theatre was overcrowded, leading to severe suffocation among the audience. M. Revati, who was seated in the lower balcony with her son Sri Tej, collapsed during the commotion. Despite being rushed to a hospital, Revati was declared dead, while her son remains in critical condition.
The Chikkadpally police registered a case, naming the Pushpa 2 producers, along with Sandhya Theatre management, staff, lead actor Allu Arjun, and his personal security, as accused. The prosecution argued that the overcrowding and ensuing commotion were a result of negligence, which contributed to the fatal incident.
However, counsel for the producers argued that their clients, as filmmakers, could not be held responsible for the circumstances leading to the tragedy. They contended that Mythri Movie Makers, a prominent production and distribution company with over 30 films to its credit, had no direct involvement in managing the special show or the theatre premises.
“The producers took all reasonable steps, including notifying the authorities. Their role was limited to producing and distributing the film. Attributing criminal liability to them is unjustified,” the counsel stated.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognizance of a complaint filed by advocate Rama Rao Immaneni regarding the stampede at Sandhya Theatre that led to the death of a woman named Revathi during the screening of the Pushpa 2 benefit show. On Wednesday, the NHRC directed the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to submit a detailed action-taken report.
The NHRC stated: “A copy of the complaint is to be transmitted to the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, to have the allegations inquired into by a senior-ranking police officer, ensure the needful action, and submit a detailed action-taken report to the Commission within four weeks.”
While noting that the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has registered the matter, the NHRC observed: “As per the website of the Telangana State Human Rights Commission, all the posts of the chairperson and members are currently vacant in the SHRC. Hence, it is not possible for the SHRC to take cognizance of the matter.”
Meanwhile, in his complaint, Rama Rao alleged that a lathi-charge by Chikkadpally police led to Revathi’s death. He claimed that the lathi-charge and the lack of proper arrangements during Allu Arjun's entry into the theatre resulted in Revathi's death and injuries to her child. The complainant has requested the Commission’s intervention to take necessary action against the erring police officials responsible for the lathi-charge.