Allu Arjun is currently in the controversy after a woman died in a stampede during the screening of Pushpa 2. However, Allu Arjun is not the only superstar who has been engulfed in such a controversy. In 2017, even Shah Rukh Khan was summoned to face charges under Sections 336, 337, and 338 of IPC and Sections 145, 150, 152, 154, and 155 (1) (a) of the Railways Act, 1989.
These charges were related to a stampede in Vadodara during the promotion of his film Raees. During the stampede, a man died, and cases were filed against SRK. A congress leader, Jitendra Solanki, filed a case against SRK.
During the hearing of the case the court said, “If you want the trial to take place with regard to the alleged offence, imagine the kind of chaos that would be caused, do you want that? I will ask him (Shah Rukh Khan) to send an apology letter to you. Put an end to this matter,” as reported by a Livelaw.
When the incident happened many people criticized Shah Rukh Khan’s over-enthusiastic PR team and the superstar for the irresponsible behavior. A local from Gujarat wrote a letter to the then Union Raiway Minister for the happening.
In her letter, the lawyer said, “At every station, a crowd was organized by his PR machinery, and this snowballed into large crowds assembling on the railway platform, which then became a venue for Shah Rukh Khan to promote his film (Raees). As a responsible citizen, Shah Rukh Khan should know the consequences of his actions. When a hapless passenger comes to board the train they should not be subjected to these troubles. Such PR exercises at the cost of a life are unacceptable.”
A 2022 report by Economic Times states that the Supreme Court’s judgment over the case asked, “What was the fault of this man (SRK)? Just because he is a celebrity, it doesn’t mean he has no rights. If somebody travels by train, there is no personal guarantee. A celebrity has equal rights like every other citizen of the country. He (SRK) is a celebrity but that doesn’t mean he can control everyone else.”
Shah Rukh Khan Offered Condolence
When the incident occurred, Shah Rukh Khan, while talking to reporters at Hazrat Nizamuddin station, said, “One of our colleagues was traveling with us. Her uncle came to see her at Vadodara. He suffered a cardiac arrest. It was really unfortunate. We started the journey thinking we all would travel and spend time with each other… When one of your own loses someone on a trip like this, it saddens us all.”
For more such throwbacks, stay tuned to Koimoi.
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