Popular actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his wife, Pavithra Gowda, were arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. The Bengaluru Police have seized multiple vehicles, including a red Jeep belonging to Darshan, which was captured on CCTV footage at the crime scene. The couple’s arrest follows chilling revelations about their alleged involvement in orchestrating the murder.
Renukaswamy, a resident of Bengaluru and an employee at Apollo Pharmacy in Chitradurga, was found dead at Sumanahalli Bridge. The investigation revealed that Renukaswamy had created a fake Instagram account to send abusive messages to Pavithra Gowda. Upset over allegations of an extramarital affair involving Pavithra that tarnished Darshan’s reputation, Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, allegedly became the target of the actor’s retaliation.
Hours after Darshan and Pavithra’s arrest, CCTV footage showed Darshan’s red Jeep following a Scorpio car, which was reportedly used to dump Renukaswamy’s body. The police arrested the couple from Darshan’s farmhouse in Mysuru and brought them to Bengaluru for questioning.
The investigation took a significant turn when three individuals, Raghavendra, Karthik, and Kesavamurthy, confessed to the murder and the disposal of Renukaswamy’s body. The accused revealed that they had been instructed not to mention Darshan’s name and were allegedly offered Rs 5 lakh to take the blame, with assurances that their legal expenses would be covered.
According to police sources, Pavithra had instigated Darshan to retaliate against Renukaswamy for the lewd comments. Darshan allegedly involved Raghavendra, the convenor of his fan club in Chitradurga, to gather information on Renukaswamy. On the night of the incident, Raghavendra allegedly abducted Renukaswamy from near his house and took him to a shed in Kamakshipalya.
The police recreated the crime scene as part of their investigation. On the evening of June 8, Darshan reportedly visited the shed where Renukaswamy was held. According to sources, Renukaswamy was attacked by hired men before Darshan arrived. Upon arrival, Darshan allegedly whipped Renukaswamy with a belt. After Darshan left, the perpetrators continued to beat Renukaswamy until he succumbed to his injuries. Pradosh, one of the perpetrators, informed Darshan about Renukaswamy’s death and allegedly received Rs 30 lakh in cash to manage the situation.
Pradosh allegedly handed over Rs 5 lakh to Karthik and his team, promising the remaining amount after the trial. The police traced the location where the remaining Rs 25 lakh was kept and conducted a panchnama to recover the money.
The body of Renukaswamy was discovered by a food delivery boy who noticed dogs eating a human body in a stormwater drain. Initially, two accused approached the Kamakshipalya police, confessing to the murder over a financial dispute. However, further investigation revealed Darshan and Pavithra’s involvement, leading to their arrest along with 11 others.
Throughout the night of the crime, Darshan was reportedly kept apprised of developments via WhatsApp. The police collected the call detail records of the accused and examined their mobile phones, discovering that the accused had spoken to Darshan repeatedly on the night of June 8. This digital evidence played a crucial role in implicating Darshan and Pavithra in the crime.
Darshan, Pavithra, and the other accused have been remanded to six days of police custody. Police sources disclosed that they are interrogating the accused and recording their statements. Authorities are also searching for four additional suspects who are currently absconding.
The accused named in the case include Pavithra Gowda, Darshan Thoogudeepa, Pavan, Raghavendra, Nandish, Vinay, Nagaraju, Laxman, Deepak, Pradosh, Karthik, Kesavamurthy, Nikhil Nayak, Jagadish, Anu, Ravi, and Raju.
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