A court in Bengaluru has remanded Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa to judicial custody in the Renukaswamy murder case. The Bengaluru Economical Offences Special Court passed the order, also remanding Darshan’s accomplices – Vinay, Pradosh, and Dhanaraj – to judicial custody until July 4. The actor had been in police custody since June 11.
Thirteen other accused, including the actor’s friend Pavithra Gowda, were remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody two days prior. A total of 17 individuals are accused in the murder case.
Police arrested Darshan along with Gowda and 15 others in connection with Renukaswamy’s murder. According to police sources, Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which allegedly enraged Darshan, leading to Renukaswamy’s murder.
Renukaswamy was abducted from Chitradurga on June 8 and was tortured to death, allegedly by the actor and his aides. His body was found near a stormwater drain adjacent to an apartment in Sumanahalli on June 9.
As part of the investigation, police are exploring the possibility of approaching Meta to retrieve data related to messages shared by Renukaswamy on his Instagram post, which has been deleted.
On June 21, it was revealed that actor Pavithra Gowda, a prime accused in the murder case, had beaten the victim with her slippers, according to a recent remand note presented by the police in court. Police have seized the slipper, clothes, materials, and other documents connected to Darshan, who is also accused in the murder, from Pavithra’s house.
Darshan’s gang member Dhanaraj alias Raja, who is accused number nine in the case, allegedly gave Renukaswamy electric shocks. Police seized an ‘Electric Shock Torch’ from his house.
