Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his police force’s handling of the Allu Arjun case have opened the door for accusations ranging from “targeting the actor” to “authoritarian handling of the issue.” Reddy – who also serves as the home minister – has categorically backed the charges against Allu Arjun.
The charges include Sections 105 and 118(1) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which correspond to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, a crime punishable by 5-10 years imprisonment, and a fine. One of the sections also pertains to voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons or means, punishable by up to three years imprisonment or a fine. The crux of the matter is that Allu Arjun allegedly caused the stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 5, which led to the death of a 35-year-old woman.
Government Overreach?
It’s important to make a clear distinction here. The issue isn’t holding the star accountable, but rather the nature of the charges and statements—vilifying the actor as having intentionally caused grievous harm and loss of life—that has led to accusations of an “overreach” by the government.
Reddy’s aggressive defence of the case, including his statement that Allu Arjun is a relative of his and the remark that the actor was irresponsible, reveals the Chief Minister’s personal stance on the incident. The argument that “all are equal before the law” is a compelling one. But there’s much more to this case.
The police’s argument is that despite the jurisdictional police inspector advising Sandhya Theatre— through a handwritten communication—that chaos would ensue if the stars of Pushpa 2 appeared at the venue, Allu Arjun still came and emerged from the sunroof of his car, “instigating” the chaos that led to death and injury.
The victims were fans of Allu Arjun who had come to watch the screening of his film. Unfortunately, this is not the first casualty of the “first-day, first-show” fan frenzy, a frequent occurrence in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cinema. While fan frenzy around film and political personalities is common (figures like SRK and Salman Khan deal with it), the scale of it in the South, particularly in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cinema, is much bigger (though it is subdued in Malayalam cinema).
Given that the huge crowds and frenzy were anticipated, could Allu Arjun have been more circumspect and refrained from adding to it by arriving at the theatre and waving to the crowd? Yes, he should have been more responsible. But so should every star and politician in discouraging fan frenzy and educating people against such madness. Do they? The answer is a resounding no, because most thrive on it. Some have spoken out against it, but most enjoy the ego boost it provides.
A Weak Case
It is indeed a moral responsibility for celebrities, but the core question here is: does it make Allu Arjun a criminal?
Firstly, it’s unclear if the organisers informed him of the advice from the police. Secondly, the police and the Chief Minister could have taken preventive action and been more forceful in advising the star not to attend the first-day, first-show screening. Had they done so and he disobeyed, they might have a stronger case.
The enforcement of their advice and preventive actions also falls under the police’s responsibility. What did they do after advising—if indeed they did—Sandhya Theatre against having Allu Arjun attend the screening?
This also shows that the administration had prior knowledge of what was planned. Given that such frenzy is the rule and not the exception, was enough done to prevent it? More importantly, has enough been done to prevent it in the future? If not, wouldn’t that also make the head of the police force and the Chief Minister accountable? It seemed like a knee-jerk reaction from Reddy and his police administration. The entire incident may diminish the Chief Minister’s political capital. Allu Arjun, on the other hand, comes across as someone who remained gracious in the face of adversity.
Who Bears Responsibility?
There have been deaths at funerals, political rallies, and religious gatherings. Reddy has witnessed this in his political career, including at some of his rallies. How often have the personalities involved been booked? SRK was booked once for a stampede at the Vadodara railway station, but the Gujarat High Court quashed the case.
In hindsight, the police and Sandhya Theatre management bear the primary legal responsibility. However, it’s not easy to blame them alone, as society as a whole must take responsibility for fan frenzy as a social ill. It is irrational and needs to be addressed. Stars have a role in dissuading it, but everyone else needs to share the responsibility.
Strict action is necessary to set a precedent and ensure such incidents don’t happen again. However, the government’s approach, which has been described as “excessive” by several legal experts, has only led to an embarrassment for itself. And Revanth Reddy seems to have shot himself in the foot.
(TM Veeraraghav is Executive Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
