The trailer launch of the much-anticipated pan-India film Pushpa 2: The Rule was unveiled in a grand event in Patna on Sunday evening. The event, held at Gandhi Maidan, was attended by the film's stars - Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna - and over 10,000 screaming fans. At one point, things seemed to be getting out of control as fans climbed barricades and structures to get close to the stars.
The police had to resort to a 'mild' lathi charge on the crowd, as per reports. ( Also read: Pushpa 2 The Rule trailer launch: Frenzy among fans lead to stampede-like situation in Patna ) News agency ANI reported that many fans climbed on structures erected at Gandhi Maidan in Patna during the event to see the stars. As they created a stampede-like situation, security personnel used baton charges to control the massive crowd that gathered there.
Videos from the event even showed some members of the crowd throwing slippers and other items at the police personnel when they were stopped from trying to get close to the stage or climb the scaffolding to get a better glimpse of the stars. Police officials, however, maintained that the situation was under control. "Only a group of people who had come to watch the event and tried to cross the barricade were removed.
An adequate number of security personnel have been deployed at Gandhi Maidan," Rajeev Mishra, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patna, was quoted by E-Times as saying. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told PTI t.