Child Critically Injured in Pushpa 2 Stampede Faces Long Recovery

An eight-year-old boy remains on ventilator support after suffering brain damage in a stampede during the premiere of Allu Arjun's film; legal and safety concerns intensify.

The December 4 stampede at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the Pushpa 2 premiere claimed the life of a 35-year-old woman and left her eight-year-old son, Sri Tej, critically injured.
Medical updates reveal Sri Tej remains in the pediatric ICU on ventilator support, with doctors planning a tracheostomy to aid his breathing; his neurological condition is static, and recovery is expected to take significant time.
Actor Allu Arjun, who attended the event, was arrested on December 13 on charges of culpable homicide but was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court the following day.
Theatre management has been issued a show-cause notice citing 11 safety lapses, including failure to inform police of Allu Arjun's visit and inadequate crowd control measures.
Allu Arjun and his father, Allu Aravind, have expressed concern for the boy's recovery, with Arjun offering financial support for medical expenses while legal restrictions prevent him from visiting the family.