Allu Arjun stampede case: What is Shah Rukh Khan's surprising connection to Pushpa 2 star's court hearing?
Court’s Ruling and Remarks on Allu Arjun Case
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, who presided over the hearing, remarked that the actor could not be held responsible for the stampede simply because he attended the movie premiere, especially as he had obtained permission to do so. “Is he responsible for the tragedy that happened? What knowledge did he have? He took permission,” Justice Sridevi said, adding that, as a citizen, Allu Arjun had the right to life and liberty, as per Jagran. The court dismissed the state's argument that Arjun was aware that his presence could lead to chaos.
The Telangana Police had argued that the actor should have anticipated a large crowd, as the premiere was highly publicized, but the court did not find sufficient evidence to link Arjun’s attendance to the tragic loss of life. Senior Advocate Niranjan Reddy, representing Allu Arjun, pointed out that the charges against him did not meet the necessary criteria for criminal prosecution.
Comparison to Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ Stampede
The case also saw references to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's involvement in a similar stampede incident during the promotions of his 2017 film Raees. In that case, Khan had thrown t-shirts and smiley balls into a crowd at a railway station, which led to a stampede that resulted in one death. Despite facing criminal charges, both the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court later ruled in favor of Khan, as there was no evidence to suggest that he had acted with criminal intent.
Reddy drew parallels between the two
