Indian actor held after stampede death at film screening

An Indian actor was arrested Friday after his appearance at a movie screening allegedly prompted a stampede by fans that crushed a woman to death, police and local media said.

Huge crowds gathered at a theatre in the southern city of Hyderabad this month to catch a glimpse of actor Allu Arjun as he arrived for the screening of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule.

The 42-year-old actor was arrested on suspicion of three offenses, including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, a police officer told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

The officer added that seven other people had already been arrested.

Broadcaster TV9 shared a video on social media platform X showing the actor holding a coffee mug as he spoke to officers who arrived at his residence to take him into custody.

The victim of the December 4 stampede was a woman in her 30s attending the screening with her son, who was also seriously injured.

The woman's family later filed a complaint against Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management, as the media outlet India Today reported.

Arjun said he was "deeply heartbroken" two days after the accident.

"While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extending every possible assistance to help them navigate this challenging journey," he wrote on X.

Arjun is hugely popular in southern India, and the Pushpa film franchise has made millions at the box office.

He won Best Actor at India's National Film Awards for his title role in the first installment of the series, released two years ago.