NHRC Seeks Answers on Stampede Death at Pushpa 2 Screening

Quick summary

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a show-cause notice to Telangana Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao on Wednesday regarding negligence during a stampede at Sandhya 70mm theater in Hyderabad.
• The stampede occurred on December 4,2024,during the pre-release screening of Pushpa 2. It led to the death of Revathi (35 years old) and injuries to her son.
• NHRC may recommend ₹5 lakh compensation to the deceased’s family.
• Advocate Rama Rao Immaneni alleged police lathi charge and negligence contributed to the incident. However, initial police reports deny these claims and argue that crowd control was conducted professionally.
• NHRC questioned why police allowed actor Allu Arjun, theatre management, and crowds at an event without permission and criticized lapses in public order maintenance before the incident occurred.
• A case was registered against Allu arjun, his security staff, and the theatre management on december 5; ten arrests where made. An inquiry is ongoing.

[Published – August 07, 2025]

Indian Opinion Analysis

The intervention by NHRC underscores a critical gap in handling large-scale gatherings where permissions are not obtained. This highlights issues around accountability; while law enforcement insists preventive measures were taken effectively under trying circumstances, NHRC has raised valid concerns regarding allowing unauthorized events. The planned crowd control measures evidently fell short when faced with unexpected developments like an actor’s arrival.

While blaming any single party would be premature without full investigation results being submitted by Hyderabad Police within six weeks, this case serves as a sharp reminder for authorities across India about preemptively addressing safety risks tied to public events-a necessity given India’s history of overcrowding-related incidents during cultural or entertainment gatherings.

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