Darshan Case Takes New Turn: New CCTV Shows Car Ferrying Renukaswamy Before Brutal Murder

Bengaluru: Three people, including a close aide of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, have been arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy. The police have also recovered CCTV footage that shows the victim's suspected abduction in a car.

The team probing the murder case stumbled upon the CCTV footage showing the suspected abduction of the victim by some associates of Darshan in this district headquarters town of Chitradurga. The footage extracted on June 8 showed the car zooming past the highway. Police believed that Renukaswamy was inside the car.

They suspect that the 34-year-old pharmacy worker, a fan of Darshan, was "lured" by his abductors. "He was then driven straight to Bengaluru where he was tortured to death," a police official said.

Renukaswamy Murder Case: Postmortem Makes Shocking Revelations

The postmortem report indicates that Renukaswamy died from shock and haemorrhage. The autopsy uncovered 15 wounds on his body, suggesting he was allegedly beaten to death by the actor and his associates. Renukaswamy sustained injuries to his head, abdomen, chest, and various other areas. Additionally, the report noted that his head collided with a mini truck parked in a shed in Bengaluru, where he had been brought from Chitradurga. The police have seized the vehicle in question.  

Renukaswamy Murder Case: Latest Developments

So far 16 people have been arrested including Darshan and Pavithra. Darshan and his gang were arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy from Chitradurga on June 8 night for allegedly sending lewd messages to Pavithra.

According to police sources, Darshan's aide Nagaraj was looking after all the dealings of the actor.  He was also taking care of Darshan's farmhouse in Mysuru. Nagaraj was on the run ever since the police arrested Darshan, his friend and actress Pavithra Gowda and 11 other henchmen.

Sources did not divulge details about his co-star Pradosh's role in the murder. Pradosh had appeared in minor roles in some movies in which Darshan was the lead actor.

Another henchman identified as Ravi surrendered before the Deputy Superintendent of Police on Thursday evening. He is a resident of Kurubarahatti in the district headquarter town of Chitradurga, and was at large ever since the murder came to light.

Police got to know about the murder when a food delivery boy alerted them about dogs eating the body of a man.

On June 9, three accused had approached police and confessed to having murdered Renukaswamy over a financial dispute. As the investigation progressed, police learnt that the trio was trying to mislead the investigation and that Darshan and gang was involved in it.

During the inquiry, the police team learnt that Darshan reportedly offered the gang members Rs 30 lakh and agreed to take care of their families till they were out of jail.

“Some amount was also transferred, which is the major evidence in this case,” a source said.

What Led to The Murder?

Darshan, popularly known as "Challenging star", was furious with Renukaswamy after he sent obscene messages and images to Pavithra Gowda (33).

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce met today amid demand for a ban on Darshan’s movies. They decided that a delegation consisting of former presidents and executive committee members would meet the family members of Renukaswamy on Friday in Chitradurga.

They also maintained that any action on Darshan will be based on the police inquiry report as it pertains to a murder case.