Indian Actor Allu Arju Was Arrested and Released on Bail Hours Later — What Happened?

Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is a specific segment of Indian cinema dedicated to producing motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely enjoyed by those who speak the Telugu language in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Like any film industry, Tollywood has birthed several stars within its community, including actor and singer Allu Arjun.

Allu's Tollywood career began in the early 2000s, and he has since become one of the biggest stars in the genre. In December 2024, the multitalented star gained global attention when arrested. Here's what to know about his arrest and his statement about the situation.

Allu was arrested on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. He was arrested at his home by a team from Chikkadpally police station in India. According to BBC News, the court initially sentenced Allu to 14 days in police custody. However, the actor paid his bail and was released from the jail hours after his arrest. Allu's arrest came one week after his connection to a fatal stampede that occurred during an event for his film, Pushpa 2.

The actor made a surprise appearance during the premiere on Dec. 4 in Hyderabad city when the crush broke out, leaving one woman dead and her son critically injured. The woman died in the hospital after suffocating in the crowd, and her son is still being treated for his injuries as of this writing.

NDTV states that, after the accident, the woman's husband had Hyderabad police register a case against Allu his security team, and the management of the theatre. Several other employees, including the theatre's owner, have also been arrested.

Pushpa 2 was a highly-anticipated sequel to Allu's feature film, Pushpa: The Rise. He arrived to the movie's premiere to surprise fans in anticipation for the film. He was arrested on suspicion of three offenses – including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means. Police claim that Allu arriving to the Pushpa 2 premiere unannounced contributed to the crush.

"His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre," police said. "His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre."

Allu's lawyer has fought back against his pending charges. During his court case, his team said that he was on a different floor than where the incident occurred and couldn't be held responsible for the crush. Before his arrest, Allu used his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to express his grief over the crush and said he was "heartbroken by the tragic incident."

"My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time," the musician wrote. "I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally."

In addition to sharing his thoughts on the matter, Allu offered to pay the woman and her son's family 2.5m rupees ($29,480). He has yet to make a follow-up statement since his arrest.