Hyderabad: The City Police Commissioner, CV Anand, has issued a show-cause notice to Sandhya Theatre regarding a stampede that occurred during the premiere of the film Pushpa-2. The notice asks the theatre management to explain why their license should not be revoked. The management has been instructed to submit their explanation within 10 days.
The incident happened on December 4 when actor Allu Arjun arrived at the theatre for the premiere show. Fans, excited to see the actor, caused chaos, leading to a stampede. Tragically, a 35-year-old woman lost her life, and her son had to be hospitalized.
The notice was addressed to Renuka Devi, the licensee of Sandhya 70MM, and a copy was pasted at the theatre. The police highlighted several lapses that contributed to the tragedy. Among these, they noted that the theatre’s infrastructure was inadequate, and the lower balcony entry gate was not sturdy enough to handle the crowd. The gate was damaged due to overcrowding.
Additionally, the management failed to inform the local police about the actor’s arrival. There was no proper planning for entry, exit, or seating arrangements for the lead actors, despite knowing that their presence would draw large crowds.
The notice further stated that Renuka Devi must explain why the theatre’s cinematograph license, issued under Form B, should not be canceled. If the explanation is not submitted within the given 10 days, it will be assumed that the management has no justification, and necessary action will be taken without further notice.
