Almost a week after the arrest of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in connection to a murder case of a Chitradurga native, actors from the Sandalwood have started responding to the incident, which has sent shockwaves across the country. 

Actor-turned-politician Ramya was one of the first stars from the industry to have reacted to the issue. Stating that “no one is above the law,” Ramya said no one should take the law into their own hands. “You don’t go around beating up people and killing them. A simple complaint would suffice whether you believe justice will be served or not,” she wrote on her Instagram story.

Darshan, who is not new to controversies, was arrested on June 11 in connection to the murder of a 33-year-old man, Renukaswamy, who was alleged to have sent lewd and defamatory messages to Darshan’s partner, Pavithra Gowda. It is alleged that the murder took place as Darshan was upset over this. Popular stars such as Kiccha Sudeep and Upendra also reacted to the shocking incident. 

Demanding justice for the victim’s wife, Kiccha Sudeep, in an interaction with India Today said, “We are only aware of what the media is showing to us because we are not going to the police station to get the information. It looks like the media and the police are working hard to uncover the truth. There’s no doubt about that... that family deserves justice. That girl deserves justice. Renukaswamy, who died on the streets, deserves justice. The unborn child deserves justice. Above all, everyone should have faith in justice, and justice should prevail in this case."

Without taking Darshan’s name, the Vikrant Rona star said that the murder case has given a bad reputation to the film industry. “All the blame is placed on the film industry. The industry should get justice and it needs a clean chit. Cinema is not just about one or two people. Only if the culprit is punished will the film industry get justice,” said Sudeep. 

Meanwhile, ‘real star’ Upendra took to his X account and said that Darshan’s case is closely followed not just by the people of Karnataka but by the entire nation. Calling for an impartial probe in the high-profile case, Upendra said that there is suspicion in the minds of the victim’s family as well as the general public with regard to whether there will be a genuine investigation regarding the case given the influence that the accused holds. 

The actor also suggested some “reforms” to ensure transparency in the investigation. "In any case, the video footage of the trial of the case and all the details of the witnesses should be shared by the police with the families of the concerned persons from time to time. It should become a law. (In the past, the police used to record the details of interrogation in writing, but now technology has advanced so much that everything can be recorded and streamed live),” he suggested. 

Meanwhile, a Bengaluru court has extended Darshan’s police custody till June 20. According to the investigation so far, Renukaswamy was allegedly abducted, brought to Bengaluru, held in a shed, and brutally tortured to death by Darshan and his accomplices. CCTV footage also showed Darshan’s car near the shed on the night of the murder. All the accused have been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (hiding evidence) of the IPC. So far 17 people have been arrested in the case.