Mumbai: A toxic substance was sprayed by an unidentified person, causing the movie audience to cough, throat irritation and vomiting inside the cinema hall during the screening of the movie ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at Gaiety Galaxy Theatre in Mumbai’s Bandra, claimed audience.
The incident took place on Thursday (December 5) causing a chaos-like situation inside the movie theatre. As soon as the people complained about breathing difficulty, the screening of the movie was stopped.
On information, the Mumbai Police reached the cinema hall and started an investigation at Bandra’s Galaxy theatre after the audience alleged toxic substance spraying. It is being claimed that an unidentified person sprayed a substance causing coughing, throat irritation and vomiting.
“We came out during the interval. After going back in, it seemed that someone had sprayed something causing coughing among the audience. The show was halted for around 10 minutes. The police are here checking everyone”, said Deen Dayal who came out of Bandra’s Galaxy theatre after watching ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
“As soon as we went back after the interval, we started coughing. We went to the bathroom and vomited. The smell stayed for 10-15 minutes. The smell faded away after the doors were opened. The movie resumed after that. The police are inside conducting an investigation”, said Ramzan who came out of Bandra’s Galaxy theatre after watching ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
Woman death at “Pushpa 2” screening: Actor Allu Arjun, others booked
A woman died and her son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at a film theatre here during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, police said on Thursday. The incident took place on Wednesday night when a large number of fans thronged the Sandhya theatre to have a glimpse of the actor.
A case was registered against actor Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management in connection with the death of the woman, police said. The police have registered the case under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint by the deceased’s family. The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Revathi. She was accompanied by her 13-year-old son Sreethej who also suffered suffocation and is being treated in a hospital where he is kept under 48-hour observation, they said.
“Case has been registered against Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management over the incident,” official sources told PTI. There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone).
“The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors’ team though the theatre management had information about their arrival,” it added.
After Arjun came to the theatre along with his personal security, people tried to enter the cinema hall with him, the police statement said. “His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre,” it added.
As the crowd surged forward, the woman and her son, who also tried to enter the theatre, suffocated and fell unconscious, police said. Police personnel who were on duty pulled them out and conducted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the woman and her son, they said.
The woman and her child were immediately shifted to the nearby Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital, where she died and her son was advised to be shifted to another hospital for better treatment, the statement said.