Kannada actors Darshan Thoopgudeepa and Pavithra Gowda have been sent to six days of police custody in connection with the death of a Chitradurga man, Renukaswamy. Darshan, Pavithra and 11 others were arrested on Tuesday, June 11 for their alleged involvement in the murder of the man. Hours after Darshan’s arrest, CCTV footage of his car entering the vicinity of the shed, where the crime allegedly occurred, has emerged. However, it is not yet known whether the actor was present inside the vehicle.
The CCTV footage shows Darshan's jeep entering the vicinity of the shed. According to reports, Renukaswamy was brought to Kamakshipalya and murdered on June 8. His body was discovered by a security guard near Sumanahalli bridge on June 9.
The 47-year-old actor was detained from his farmhouse in Mysuru on the morning of Tuesday, June 11 and transported to Bengaluru for further interrogation. Darshan has been accused of being involved in the murder of Renukaswamy, who allegedly sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda.
Following the arrest, Darshan and two detainees underwent a medical check-up at Bowring Hospital before being produced in court. The court placed Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and other accused persons to six days in police custody. The names of the other accused, who are alleged to have assisted Darshan in the crime are: Pavan, Vinay, Pradosh, Nandeesha, Deepak, Lakshman, Nagaraju, Karthik, Nikhil, Keshavmurthy, and Raghavendra.
Security was tightened around the hospital with the deployment of 50 officers and two additional Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) contingent.
The investigation was initiated based on a complaint by the security guard, Keval Ram Dorji, at Anugraha Apartment. On the morning of June 9, Dorji discovered the body of a man, later identified as Renukaswamy, lying by the side of a drain near the apartment in Kamakshipalya. The body bore multiple injuries and bloodstains and the police have registered an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (hiding evidence).