Police authorities arrested one Lakshmanan, 21, a native of Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district on Thursday after he hurled a Molotov cocktail (petrol bomb) at a theatre complex in Coimbatore on the release day of Tamil actor Ajith Kumar's Valimai. According to the police, Lakshmanan, a wall painter by occupation, who was staying at Rathinapuri, aimed the explosive at a few fans of the superstar after a quarrel had earlier broken out between them. The arrested had filled a bottle with fuel and threw it into the theatre complex, which exploded in the two-wheeler parking area.

Officials stated that another Ajith fan, Naveen Kumar, 25, also from Rathinapuri, had booked tickets for the early morning 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. special shows of Valimai in the theatre on February 24. Lakshmanan and a few of his friends had then approached Kumar, who allegedly quoted a price of Rs. 500 per ticket. An argument followed between both groups, with Lakshmanan and his friends doing stunts on their bikes, which left one of Kumar's friends injured. Police added that the group then made a run from the place after being beaten up by Kumar and his friends. Later, Lakshmanan and his friends returned to the theatre before the 4 a.m. screening of Valimai and threw a beer bottle filled with fuel at Kumar and his associates. Lakshmanan, who was in hiding at Cherambadi in the Nilgiris, was taken into custody, with authorities still on the search for his friends. 

Ajith Kumar's Valimai directed by H. Vinoth under Boney Kapoor's Bayview Projects LLP banner in association with Zee Studios and featuring music by Yuvan Shankar Raja took a stunning opening in theatres everywhere despite mixed reviews. The mass action thriller is Ajith's second collaboration with Vinoth, Boney Kapoor, and Yuvan after their 2019 blockbuster Nerkonda Paarvai and has the superstar playing the role of a cop.