Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa
A Bengaluru court has extended the judicial custody of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case until September 9.
The 17 accused, including Darshan and Pavithra, appeared before the magistrate court via video conference from their respective prisons as their custody period ended.
The extension follows a remand application filed by the police. On Tuesday, the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate allowed Darshan to be moved from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail to Ballari Jail. This decision came after a photo of Darshan with three others, including a known rowdy-sheeter, lounging in the prison yard went viral, causing an uproar. A video of Darshan on a video call from prison also surfaced online.
The court also approved the transfer of other co-accused to various prisons across the state. Pawan, Raghavendra, and Nandish will be moved to Mysuru Jail; Jagadish and Lakshmana to Shivamogga Jail; Dhanraj to Dharwad Jail; Vinay to Vijayapura Jail; Nagaraj to Kalaburagi/Gulbarga Jail; and Pradosh to Belagavi Jail.
Pavithra Gowda, Anukumar, and Deepak will remain at Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, while Ravi, Karthik, Nikhil, and Keshavamurthy were previously transferred to Tumakuru prison.
Nine prison officials, including the Chief Superintendent of Parappana Agrahara Jail, were suspended on Monday for providing “special treatment” to Darshan. 3 FIRs have been registered against Darshan and others under the Prisons Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections.
The murder victim, Renukaswamy, 33, was a fan of Darshan. Police say Renukaswamy sent inappropriate messages to Pavithra Gowda, which allegedly led to his murder by Darshan and his associates. His body was found near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli on June 9.
Raghavendra, a member of Darshan’s fan club, reportedly lured Renukaswamy to a shed in R.R. Nagar, where he was tortured and killed.
The post-mortem revealed Renukaswamy died from shock and hemorrhage due to multiple blunt injuries. Police sources claim Pavithra Gowda played a major role in instigating and participating in the crime.
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