Telangana HC witnesses heated arguments case against Allu Arjun in Sandhya Theater stampede

Hyderabad: The hearing at the Telangana High Court has seen intense arguments from both the Public prosecutor Palle Nageshwara Rao prosecution and defense counsel S Niranjan Reddy in connection with a stampede incident in Sandhya theater .

Senior counsel S. Niranjan Reddy, representing Allu Arjun, argued that the allegations against the actor lacked the intent necessary to establish culpable homicide. "To make out a case for culpable homicide, there needs to be an intention. The FIR doesn’t state that Allu Arjun had knowledge or intended harm," he emphasized. The counsel also recalled a similar case involving Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, where the court held that the actor was not criminally liable for a stampede during a promotional event.

The prosecution, however, contended that the accused cannot file an Interim Application (IA) in a quash petition for bail. The Public Prosecutor (PP) argued that the case lacked urgency and should be taken up on Monday. Despite this, the defense pushed for interim bail, citing infringement of the actor's personal liberty and the lack of custodial necessity.

The bench questioned the applicability of Section 105 BNS, with culpable homicide that doesn't amount to murder. The punishment for this offense depends on whether the person intended to cause death or acted knowing it could cause death. Senior counsel S. Niranjan Reddy argued that there was no intention behind the act of Allu Arjun.

Further complicating matters, the defense claimed that the police were aware of the event and were present, making their attempt to shift blame.

The bench also questioned the prosecution’s stance, noting inconsistencies in the FIR and police instructions. “What knowledge? They were informed, and their instructions are not placed before us,” remarked Justice Juvvadi Sridevi.