Police in India have arrested popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun in connection with a crush at the premiere of his latest film earlier this month.

A 39-year-old woman was killed and her son was critically injured in the crush during the screening of “Pushpa 2” in the southern city of Hyderabad on December 4.

Chaos erupted when the actor made a surprise appearance at the Sandhya Theater at the end of the screening.

The police had opened a case of negligent homicide against the actor, his security team and the theater management.

The owner and two employees of the theater have already been arrested.

On Friday, police arrived at the actor’s house and took him into custody, after which he was produced before a local court.

Accidents involving large crowds are frequently reported in India, where lax safety measures and crowd management have resulted in deaths in the past. But it’s unusual for major celebrities to be arrested in such cases.

Pushpa 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, hit theaters earlier this month

According to police, Allu Arjun arrived at the theater at 9.30 pm IST via the main entrance.

“There has been no indication from the theater management or the acting team that they will visit the theatre,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said.

The cast also did not have a separate entrance or exit and no additional arrangements were made to manage the crowd. “His personal security team began to put pressure on the public, which further aggravated the situation as there was already a large crowd in the theater,” a police statement said.

As chaos erupted, a 39-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son were pulled from the crowd because they felt “suffocated,” police said.

They were immediately given first aid before being taken to hospital for further care.

While the woman died in the hospital, her son was shifted to another hospital where he is still undergoing treatment.

The actor has not yet commented on the police’s allegations.

But shortly after the incident, he took to X, formerly of Twitter, and said he was “heartbroken by the tragic incident.”

“My sincere condolences go out to the grieving family at this unimaginably difficult time. I want to reassure you that you are not alone in this pain and will meet the family in person,” he wrote.

He later announced a grant of 2.5 million rupees ($29,480; £23,346) to the woman’s family and promised to cover her son’s medical costs.

Mythri Movie Makers, the studio behind the film, also released a statement saying, “We are committed to standing by them and offering all possible support during this difficult time.”

Arjun had approached the court earlier this week to dismiss the police complaint against him but the case has not been heard yet.