Pa Ranjith, 3 Others Booked After Stuntman SM Raju's Death During Arya Film Shoot
SM Raju Death: Pa Ranjith and three crew members booked under BNS Act after stuntman SM Raju died during Arya's film shoot in Nagapattinam.
SM Raju Death: A tragic accident during the shoot of Tamil film Vettuvan on July 13 resulted in the death of veteran stunt director SM Raju. The fatal incident took place in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district while filming a high-risk car-toppling stunt for the Arya-starrer, helmed by Pa Ranjith. He was rushed to the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital but was declared dead.
And now, director Pa Ranjith has been booked by Keelaiyur police along with three others in the death case. Initially, the case was filed under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. The complaint named director Pa Ranjith, stunt choreographer Rajkamal, Neelam Productions, and Prabhakaran. However, after reviewing the evidence and questioning those involved, the police revised the charges. The case has now been filed under Sections 289 (negligent conduct), 125 (abetment of an offence), and 106(1) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS.
The authorities suspect lapses in safety protocols and poor planning of the stunt sequence.
Raju's mortal remains were handed over to his family after a postmortem. Meanwhile, the case continues to develop as police examine accountability and possible negligence on part of the film's crew and production team.
Disturbing video clips from the set that are being shared on social media show a speeding car overturning violently. Crew members are seen rushing to the crash site and pulling Raju from the mangled vehicle, only to discover he had not survived the impact.
SM Raju was a respected name in the Tamil film industry, known for choreographing several intense action scenes throughout his career. His sudden demise has sent shockwaves through Kollywood and reignited conversations around stunt safety measures.
Actor Vishal, who had collaborated with Raju on many action-heavy films, expressed his grief on social media. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Vishal wrote, 'So difficult to digest the fact that stunt artist Raju passed away while doing a car toppling sequence for jammy @arya_offl and @beemji Ranjith's film this morning. Have known Raju for so many years and he has performed so many risky stunts in my films time and time again as he is such a brave person."
Vishal went on to assure support for Raju's bereaved family, adding, 'My deepest condolences and may his soul rest in peace. May God give more strength to his family for their grave loss. Not just this tweet but will definitely be there for his family's future, being from the same film industry and also for his contribution to so many films. From the bottom of my heart and as my duty I extend my support for them. God bless."
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