NEW DELHI: An Indian actor was arrested on Friday after his appearance at a movie screening allegedly prompted a stampede by fans that crushed a woman to death.

Huge crowds had gathered at a theatre in the southern city of Hyderabad on Dec 4 to catch a glimpse of actor Allu Arjun as he arrived for the screening of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule.

The 42-year-old actor was arrested on suspicion of three offences, including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, a police official said.

The official added that seven other people had already been arrested in the case.

A video on social media platform X showed the actor holding a coffee mug as he spoke to police officials who arrived at his residence to take him into custody.

Later in the day, Arjun was granted interim bail for four weeks.

The victim of the stampede was a woman in her 30s attending the screening with her son, who was also seriously injured.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024