Allu Arjun arrest: Fans gather outside police station; internet split between concern and thinking it's PR for Pushpa 2

Allu Arjun has been taken into custody by the Telangana police in connect to the death of a woman at the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule.

Allu Arjun was arrested by the officials from Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad on Friday in connection to the death of a fan during the premiere of his recent film Pushpa 2: The Rule. As news broke, numerous fans gathered outside the police station in support, and the internet was split between concern and thinking it was a PR stunt. (Also Read: Allu Arjun kisses distraught wife Sneha Reddy during arrest; tells police they were wrong to ‘come to his bedroom’)

The Telangana police arrested Allu Arjun on Friday.

Fans react to Allu Arjun’s arrest

Pictures and videos surface on X (formerly Twitter) of fans gathering outside the Chikkadapally police station to support Arjun. The police implemented heightened security measures to manage the crowd and maintain order. This comes two days after Arjun filed a petition at the Telangana High Court to quash the FIR lodged against him.

Meanwhile, some on the internet seemed confused as to why Arjun was arrested for the incident. One fan questioned, “But what's his fault? Isn't crowd control the police's responsibility?” Another posted on X in similar vein, “Wait why Allu Arjun is being arrested? To come watch a film he acted in? Or failure to control the crowd which is Police force responsibility so they figured they messed up so they arrest the actor instead lol.”

Some decided that if Arjun can be held responsible for the death, so should the rest of Pushpa 2 team, “To all those supporting the arrest of Allu Arjun, please remember that he is not solely responsible for organizing the movie's events. The producers are primarily accountable, and only then comes the role of the actors, including Allu Arjun, who is one among many in the cast.” Another fan wrote, “Isme allu arjun ki kya galti hai? Is hisaab se to director, actress sabko arrest karna chahiye. (How is this Allu Arjun’s fault? By this logic even the director, actress, everyone must be arrested)”

Some fans reminded others that Arjun has a ‘battery of lawyers’ and is ‘resourceful’, asking them not to ‘do anything stupid’ and ‘risk’ themselves. Some thought the police was right in holding the actor accountable, “I think it’s correct decision by Telangana Police. Rule of Law is Sacrosanct and we have to commend Telangana Police. I like Allu Arjun but no One is above law.”

Some think arrest is a PR stunt

Some people, however, seemed to believe the whole thing was a PR stunt for Pushpa 2: The Rule, despite the police confirming the arrest to the press. One person seemed in denial as they wrote, “The Allu arjun arrest is just a publicity stunt to turn of media , just like his character in pushpa, Hell be released in no time with fine and his fans who are no brained will be celebrating for PR.”

People on Reddit even debated how Arjun was dressed in Pushpa 2 merchandise, drinking coffee and chatting with his team during the arrest, with one person writing, “What kind of arrest. Bro is drinking his coffee while dressed in his movie merchandise. Even called paps for it. Aisa PR kabhi dekha hai? (Have you ever seen a PR like this)” Another commented, “Another pr stunt.” One person reasoned, “I think this sub's favourite word is PR.any s**t that happens they call it PR.”

What happened

On December 4, Arjun visited Sandhya Theatre at RTC X Roads with co-star Rashmika Mandanna and his wife, Allu Sneha Reddy, to watch Pushpa 2: The Rule with fans. He claimed he left the movie midway after being told that the crowd was getting hard to control. The crowd surge after his visit resulted in a stampede, resulting in the death of 35-year-old Revathi and the hospitalisation of her young son in a critical condition.

The police have since arrested the owner and management of Sandhya Theatre, with Arjun being the fourth person to be arrested in the case. After news of the death broke, the actor issued an apology and promised to monetarily help the victim’s family in any way he could.