The tragic incident during the Pushpa 2 fan event continues to haunt many, especially the case of 8-year-old Sritej, who was critically injured in the stampede at Sandhya Theater, Hyderabad. Despite medical care, the young boy remains unresponsive, unable to recognize even his father and sister, and continues to suffer from breathing issues.
The chaos occurred as massive crowds gathered at RTC X Roads to catch a glimpse of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, whose rise as a national icon since Pushpa made him a larger-than-life figure. The situation turned deadly, with Sritej’s mother, Revathi, losing her life in the stampede.
After months of silence, the case has once again entered the spotlight. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has now issued a show cause notice to Telangana Chief Secretary S. Ramakrishna, questioning the lapses in crowd control and security arrangements during the event.
Earlier in January 2025, NHRC had taken suo moto cognizance of the stampede and sought initial reports from the Hyderabad Police. With no satisfactory action taken since, the commission has now expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Telangana government’s handling of the tragedy.
In its latest notice, NHRC has directed the state to pay ₹5 lakh compensation to Revathi’s family from government funds. It has also asked both the Chief Secretary and the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to submit a detailed report on the security clearances, crowd permissions, and post-incident support mechanisms.
The boy’s case, once widely reported and supported by Allu Arjun’s family and state officials, seems to have fallen into neglect as doctors declared limited hope for recovery. This new intervention by NHRC may now offer a ray of justice for the grieving family.
