After a woman died in a stampede at Sandhya Threatre in Hyderabad during the screening of his movie Pushpa 2: The Rule on December 4, actor Allu Arjun found himself at the centre of a legal battle. Allu Arjun was arrested by the police from his residence on Friday and he had to spent a night in Chanchalguda Central Jail before his release on Saturday. 


Here's a timeline of events from arrest to release of Actor Allu Arjun. 


On Friday morning, a police team picked Allu Arjun up from his house in Jubilee Hills. When the police arrived at his residence, Allu Arjun, dressed in Pushpa 2 sweatshirt, was sipping coffee. Initially, the actor expressed his displeasure over police entering his private space. However, before leaving to the station, the actor also kissed his wife. 







Questioning At Chikkadpally Police Station


Allu Arjun who was picked up from his home was taken to the Chikkadpally police station for questioning regarding the incident. Soon, his father Allu Aravind, brother Allu Sirish, and father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy reached the station. His fans gathered in large numbers outside the police station in support of the actor. 


Allu Arjun Arrested


After two hours of questioning by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav and his team, Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday noon. The police later confirmed his arrest and ACP L. Ramesh Kumar confirmed ANI, "Yes, he has been arrested."


Medical Examination


Following his arrest, Arjun consulted his lawyer to request an urgent hearing in the High Court, seeking to quash the FIR filed against him. Earlier, Allu Arjun had moved Telangana High Court seeking to quash the FIR lodged against him.


He was taken from the police station to Gandhi Hospital for a medical examination before being presented in court.


Politicians, Celebrities Oppose Arrest 


The arrest sparked a wave of political criticism especially from the Opposition BJP and BRS in Telangana. BRS Party Working President KT Rama Rao tweeted, "Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers. I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really?  Treating Allu Arjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly responsible..."


Pointing fingers at the authorities, BJP leader T Raja Singh claimed that despite prior intimation of Arjun's visit, security arrangements were inadequate at the threatre on the day of the stampede.


Actor Varun Dhawan became one of the actors to voice in support of Allu Arjun. He said, "The actor cannot take the sole responsibility of the safety protocols. You can only tell the people around you...The incident was tragic. I express my condolences but at the same time, you cannot blame only one person for this."


Court Proceedings


After a medical checkup, Allu Arjun was produced before a local court. In court, Arjun's lawyer argued that the actor had no knowledge or intent to commit any offence. However, the court sent him to a 14-day judicial custody.


Soon, he was taken to Chanchalguda Central Jail.


Interim Bail Granted


Later in the evening on Friday, the Telangana High Court granted Arjun interim bail for four weeks, requiring a personal bond of Rs 50,000. Advocate Karam Komireddy, representing the management of Sandhya Theatre, confirmed that the court also directed the release of two arrested theatre owners.


Advocate Karam Komireddy said, "Allu Arjun has also been granted interim bail for a period of 4 weeks. He shall be executing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with the Superintendent of jail at Chanchalguda. Thereafter, he will be enlarged on bail."


Allu Arjun Spends Night In Jail


Allu Arjun was assigned prisoner number 7697 and placed in a Class-1 barrack at Chanchalguda Central Jail. He was kept as an undertrial prisoner. On the release, his lawyer Ashok Reddy on Friday said, "Order copy has been furnished to them and they are bound to comply but they aren't...between 7-8 am tomorrow (release time)."


Release from Jail


Allu Arjun was released at 6:30 AM after spending a night in the barracks, where he had a brief sleep and consumed food brought by his family. Upon release, he was seen walking out with his father, Allu Aravind. The actor later reached the Geeta Arts office in Jubilee Hills.


In his first reaction, the actor thanked his supporters. He said, "I thank everyone for the love and support. I want to thank all my fans. There is nothing to worry about. I am fine. I am a law-abiding citizen and will cooperate. I would like to once again express my condolences to the family. It was an unfortunate incident. We are sorry for what happened..."