'Stop glorifying celebs': Fans criticise Allu Arjun after minor boy declared brain dead after Pushpa 2 stampede

We live in a country where fans worship celebs like God, especially the fandom for South Indian superstars whether it's Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay Devakonda or Allu Arjun, among others have a huge fan following.

Celebrities and fans have an unbreakable bond, it's the fans who can make or break a star. There have been several instances in the past wherein fans see their favourite stars, singers or performances and tend to get overwhelmed.

This is exactly what happened on December 4 at the premiere of the Pushpa 2. When fans flocked to Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad to watch the film. However, Allu Arjun made a surprise visit to a theatre, which led to an unforeseen incident.

Police restored to lathi-charge and to control the crowd. Upon seeing Allu Arjun's car, the sea of fans rushed towards him leading to a stampede. The incident resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman and left her 8-year-old son critically injured.

Child injured in Pushpa 2 stampede declared 'brain dead'

The eight-year-old boy, Sri Tej, who had been fighting for his life for the past two weeks, has been declared brain-dead due to a lack of oxygen supply.  The stampede that occurred at Sandhya Theatre had already claimed the life of the boy's mother, Revathi.

Meanwhile, Revathi's daughter, Sanvi, and her husband, Bhaskar, escaped unhurt.

Fans slam Allu Arjun and hold him responsible for the tragedy 

A user said, "stop glorifying celebs."

Another said "Is Allu Arjun paying bills?"

How did the stampede happen?

The tragedy occurred when the woman who passed away, along with her young son, got trapped in the stampede and fainted. Police personnel performed CPR on the boy before he was rushed to the hospital. Despite their efforts, Sri Tej exhibited low oxygen saturation and irregular breathing, which required immediate intubation and ventilation.

According to a report in The News Minute, Hyderabad Commissioner CV Anand provided an update on the condition of the minor child during his visit to KIMS Hospital on Tuesday. The report also stated that Telangana Health Secretary Dr. Christina informed the media that Sri Tej's health is being closely monitored, and doctors remain hopeful for his recovery.

Allu Arjun was arrested on December 14 and released on interim bail 

Following the unforeseen incident, Revathi's husband filed a complaint against the authorities responsible for managing the crowd at the theatres. Actor Allu Arjun was also named as accused number 11 in the case. He was arrested on December 13 in connection with Revathi's death.

However, he was released from Chanchalguda Central Jail on interim bail after furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 50,000.

After his release from jail, Allu Arjun addressed the media, saying: "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."

Allu Arjun reacts to backlash for not visiting Sandhya theatre victim's son

However, Allu Arjun faced severe backlash and was brutally trolled for celebrating after walking out of jail. Several of his colleagues and Tollywood film stars visited him at his residence, sparking criticism online.

Celebrities such as Naga Chaitanya, Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Pushpa director Sukumar, and Daggubati Venkatesh were among those who visited the actor to show their support.

On Sunday, Allu Arjun released a statement on social media, explaining why he isn't meeting the minor boy who is battling for his life. He wrote, "I remain deeply concerned about young Sri Tej, who is under constant medical care after the unfortunate incident. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, I have been advised not to visit him and his family at this time. My prayers remain with them, and I remain committed to addressing their medical and family needs. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to meeting him and his family at the earliest."