Pushpa 2 stampede case: Injured 8-year-old child Sri Teja is 'brain dead', battles for life on ventilator

The son of the woman who died in the tragic Sandhya theatre stampede during the premiere of Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 in Hyderabad is fighting for his life. He is currently on a ventilator.

While his mother was killed in the stampede, he remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital. As per the health update from KIMS Cuddles Hospital in Hyderabad, where the child is receiving treatment, the eight-year-old remains on ventilator support due to severe injuries from the stampede. His neurological condition has also shown no signs of improvement.

According to the statement from KIMS Cuddles Hospital in Secunderabad, "His fever is reducing and on minimal inotropes, his vital parameters are stable. He is tolerating feeds well. Given static neurological status, tracheostomy is being planned to facilitate weaning from the ventilator."

The medical team treating the child also mentioned that doctors are evaluating the option of a tracheostomy to assist with his breathing and help him wean off the ventilator. Currently, he is on mechanical ventilation with minimal oxygen and pressure support.

Sri Teja was seriously injured, and his 39-year-old mother, Revathi, tragically lost her life in a stampede at the premiere of the sequel to the National Award-winning film Pushpa: The Rise.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand, along with Telangana’s Health Secretary, visited the hospital on behalf of the state government to check on Sri Teja’s condition.

After meeting with the doctors and visiting the child, the commissioner told the media that Sri Teja was "brain dead" due to lack of oxygen during the stampede and that his recovery would take a long time.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad police on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Sandhya 70MM Theatre seeking its response on why its license should not be cancelled for negligence leading to the death of a woman during the premiers of Pushpa 2: The Rule. Police Commissioner C. V. Anand issued a show cause notice to the theatre management after serious lapses were observed, leading to the stampede during the premiere show on December 4.

The notice highlights the theatre’s failure to manage crowd control, which tragically resulted in the death of a woman and left her 9-year-old son critically injured. The Commissioner of Police has directed Renuka Devi, the licensee of Sandhya 70MM Theatre, to explain why the cinematograph license granted should not be cancelled for failing to provide a safe and secure environment.