18 December,2024 10:55 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sri Tej with his family
The 'Pushpa 2' premiere in Hyderabad held on December 4 has not been kind to a family who had arrived to watch the big film spectacle a day before its worldwide release. Sri Tej, the eight-year-old boy, who has been fighting for his life for the past two weeks has been declared brain-dead owing to a lack of oxygen supply. The stampede that happened at Sandhya theatre has already claimed the life of the boy's mother, Revathi, 39.
According to a report in the Newsminute, an update on the condition of the little boy was given by Hyderabad Commissioner CV Anand who visited the child at KIMS hospital on Tuesday. The report also said that Telangana Health Secretary Dr Christina informed the media that Sri Tej's health is being closely monitored, and doctors remain hopeful of a recovery.
The family of four was at the theatre to watch the big film on the screen when Allu Arjun arrived at the venue. His appearance led to a massive crowd arriving to see him which led to a stampede. While Revathi's daughter Sanvi and her husband Bhaskar escaped unhurt, the 39-year-old and her son got trapped in the stampede and fainted. Police personnel had performed CPR on the boy before he was taken to the hospital. While Revathi passed away, Sri Tej exhibited low oxygen saturation and irregular breathing, necessitating immediate intubation and ventilation.
A complaint was filed by Revathi's husband against the authorities responsible for managing the crowd at theatres. Actor Allu Arjun was also named as accused number 11. The 'Pushpa 2' star was arrested on December 13 in connection with the death of Revathi. He was released from the Chanchalguda Central Jail on interim bail after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000. After his release from jail, he addressed the media, saying, "I thank everyone for the love and support. I want to thank all my fans. There is nothing to worry about. I am fine. I am a law-abiding citizen and will cooperate. I would like to once again express my condolences to the family. It was an unfortunate incident. We are sorry for what happened."
The 'Pushpa' star took to his Instagram and dropped a message stating, "I remain deeply concerned about young Sri Tej, who is under constant medical care after the unfortunate incident. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, I have been advised not to visit him and his family at this time. My prayers remain with them, and I remain committed to taking responsibility for addressing the medical and family needs. I wish him a speedy recovery, and I look forward to meeting him and his family at the earliest."
However, actor has promised to support the family in whatever way he can apart from announcing Rs 25 lakh financial assistance to the family.
