Allu Arjun is once again at the centre of debate a year after the Pushpa 2: The Rule stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre left an eight-year-old boy critically injured and claimed the life of his mother. The incident occurred on December 4 last year when the actor visited the theatre, triggering a massive crowd surge. Now, despite the promised Rs 2 crore ex gratia, the child’s father says he is still struggling financially to keep his son alive.Amid the ongoing reports, a video of the boy’s father thanking Allu Arjun for earlier financial help has resurfaced online.
Father thanks Allu Arjun for ‘immense’ support in viral clip
In the video, shared widely on social media, Sritej’s father expresses gratitude after producer Dil Raju confirmed that financial aid had indeed been extended.“My son is on the way to recovery. Allu Arjun helped him immensely. It is because of his support that my son is recovering at a good pace. Without Allu Arjun’s help this would have been impossible. I want to express my gratitude to Allu Arjun Sir,” he said.
A year later, family says medical expenses are overwhelming
Eight-year-old Sritej, who was critically injured during the stampede, remained in the hospital for months before being discharged after 146 days of treatment from KIMS Hospital. He now continues his recovery at a neuro-rehabilitation centre.Speaking to ABN, the boy’s father, Magudampalli Bhaskar, said his son still requires around Rs 90,000 every month for treatment, apart from several additional costs. He shared that the child cannot eat, drink or breathe properly on his own, and he is now the only caretaker for his son, daughter and elderly mother.Bhaskar, who had to quit his job at a gold shop, said the total monthly medical expenditure has reached nearly Rs 1.25 lakh. He also claimed that Rs 3 lakh was spent this year on surgeries on his son’s legs alone.
Ex gratia deposit confirmed, but interest not enough: father
Bhaskar confirmed that Allu Arjun’s family deposited Rs 2 crore for Sritej’s future. However, he said the interest earnings are not sufficient to cover the ongoing and rising medical expenses. He also said he tried contacting the actor’s team for further assistance—since they had promised to support his son’s rehabilitation—but did not receive a response.
Allu Arjun’s spokesperson responds
A spokesperson for Allu Arjun told Hindustan Times that they stand by producer Bunny Vas’ statement made at an event on Thursday. When asked about reports of Allu Arjun ignoring the family’s plea, Bunny Vas said, “This is not the stage, please. There are many pedda manushulu (respectable people) in between. Anything that we’re doing, we’re doing it through Dil Raju garu.”He added that Allu Arjun is not directly involved in fund allocation. “Keeping aside whether we managed to satisfy them or not, we are following particular guidelines. We are determining where the fund should be allocated, including its use for medical purposes and other considerations. We put a system in place. If they are dissatisfied or the money isn’t enough, they can speak to the pedda manushulu. We will correct any issues that need attention. It’s not a direct thing,” he said.
What happened after the 2024 incident
After the December 4 stampede, Allu Arjun was arrested by Hyderabad police and produced before a court on December 13. Though he received interim bail the same day from the Telangana High Court, he had to stay in custody overnight due to procedural delays.Later in December, Allu Arjun’s father and producer Allu Aravind announced a Rs 2 crore ex gratia package: Rs 1 crore from Allu Arjun, Rs 50 lakh from Mythri Movie Makers and Rs 50 lakh from director Sukumar. Dil Raju, acting through the Telangana Film Development Corporation (TGFDC), was appointed as mediator. Arjun had also assured that he would cover the boy’s ongoing medical expenses. Go to Source
