Telangana Govt under fire as NHRC seeks answers on Pushpa 2 stampede death
Hyderabad: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Secretary of Telangana, demanding an explanation for the delay in recommending compensation to the next of kin of Revathi, who died in a stampede during a promotional event for the movie Pushpa 2 in December 2024. The commission also told the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to submit the case status report in six weeks.
On December 4, 2024, a large crowd gathered at Sandhya 70mm Theatre in RTC X-Roads, Hyderabad. This happened during actor Allu Arjun’s visit, even though the police had reportedly denied permission for the event. Revathi succumbed to injuries sustained in the chaos, while her two children were also hurt. After further investigation, the Hyderabad Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his security team. Ten individuals, including the actor, were arrested, with investigations ongoing.
The police denied allegations of lathi-charging the crowd, claiming the theatre management was responsible for inadequate infrastructure. However, the NHRC questioned why authorities failed to prevent the gathering when permission had been explicitly denied.
"The report showed that, during the enquiry, permission for the event was denied. The theatre, management, and actor did not have permission for a roadshow. Also, the claims about a lathi charge are false. The Commission does not understand why the police let the crowd, accused actor, and management gather at the event location, which lacked permission. The police should have taken legal action against the accused actor/management at the very first occurrence, prior to the incident itself, for breaking the law and attending the unlawful events,” observed the Commission.
“In the absence of permission, the event was unlawful. But, it is not clear whether the police warned the crowd, management, and accused actors to refrain from any unlawful activities or whether the police waited for the occurrence of this unfortunate accident?" questioned the Commission.
The NHRC observed negligence by the police in maintaining public order and directed the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, to ensure a fair probe and submit a status report within six weeks. The Commission also sought reasons from the Chief Secretary for not recommending compensation to Revathi’s family.