Actor Allu Arjun, who is well-known in India, was taken into custody on Friday following a stampede that claimed a woman's life and injured multiple others, including her small son, at a screening of his film, Pushpa 2: The Rule.
In Hyderabad, thousands of fans had gathered outside a theater on December 4 to see the 42-year-old celebrity, when the unfortunate occurrence happened.
An anonymous police official told reporters that Arjun was arrested on suspicion of three offences, one of which was "voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means."
These charges were later dropped.
Seven additional individuals, including members of his security detail and theater employees, were previously taken into custody in relation to the occurrence.
As police officials came at Arjun's apartment to arrest him, video footage aired by broadcaster TV9 showed him speaking to them while carrying a coffee mug.
Reportedly, he was granted four weeks of interim bail later that day, as per the local media.
A mother and her son were among the victims of the stampede, which claimed the life of a woman in her thirties.
The carnage caused major injuries to the child. Arjun, his bodyguards, and the theater's administration have all been formally accused of negligence by the woman's relatives.
"I am deeply heartbroken," Arjun said on the social media site X (previously Twitter) two days following the tragedy to convey his sadness.
Although I understand the importance of giving them space to grieve, I am determined to provide them with all the support they need to overcome this difficult time.
Arjun has an enormous fan base in southern India, where he is considered a big star in Indian cinema.
Millions of dollars have been minted at the box office by the Pushpa film series. For his performance in the pilot, he was named Best Actor at India's National Film Awards.
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