'Pushpa 2' stampede triggers late-night shows restrictions

An Indian court has imposed new restrictions on late-night shows in theatres following the death of a woman during South star Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2’ premiere.

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The Telangana High Court made the ruling during a case filed against the surge in ticket prices and special shows in Telangana, Indian media outlets reported.

The case was filed following a stampede at the Sandhya Theatre on December 5 last year when Allu Arjun made a surprise visit to the venue during the ‘Pushpa 2’ screening.

The stampede resulted in the death of a woman while her son sustained injuries.

Now, the Telangana High Court has restricted the entry of children below the age of 16 to theatres in the morning and night shows.

According to the ruling, cinemas have been directed to not allow children below 16 to enter before 11am and after 11pm.

Read more: Allu Arjun visits ‘Pushpa’ premiere stampede victim in hospital

Telangana High Court Judge Vijaysen Reddy cited the example of the ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede for the decision.

It is to be noted that South superstar Allu Arjun’s surprise visit to the screening event of the ‘Pushpa’ sequel resulted in a stampede-like situation.

During the panic situation, a woman named Revathi and her son Sri Tej lost consciousness, and she was declared dead upon arrival at the Durga Bhai Deshmukh Hospital.

The police and state government blamed Allu Arjun’s star power for causing the fatal stampede, and the actor was taken into custody in connection to the case around the woman’s death.

He was sent on a 14-day remand by a local court, however, was soon granted a four-week interim bail by the Telangana High Court and was released from the jail the next day.