According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder.
Published Sep 04, 2024 | 5:20 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 04, 2024 | 5:20 PM
Darshan was arrested for his alleged links in Renukaswamy murder case. (Facebook)
The Bengaluru police on Wednesday, 4 September, filed a chargesheet against Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case with the statements of 231 witnesses.
“We have filed a chargesheet against 17 accused in the Renukaswamy murder case,” Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda told reporters.
According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli in Bengaluru on 9 June.
The Bengaluru city police commissioner said the 3,991-page chargesheet was filed after probing all angles.
“We have completed the investigation pertaining to the Renukaswamy murder case. We will submit the chargesheet before the 24 ACMM ( Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate) court. The chargesheet has been filed against 17 accused,” Dayananda said.
“A total of 231 witnesses including technical and scientific witnesses are mentioned in the report. This is a 3,991-page chargesheet and probed in all the angles,” he added.
The officer said there were three eyewitnesses.
“27 people have made statements before the judge and the remaining witnesses have made statements before the police. We have arrested all the 17 accused, who are under judicial custody in different prisons,” Dayananda said.
“We had also sent several materials for the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) and CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory) and got the report. We are yet to receive a few reports from the FS. Several government officials including Tahsildar, RTO and Engineers are also witnesses. We have also made 56 police personnel witnesses,” he said and added that they will submit the remaining CFSL reports to the court at the earliest.
#Karnataka: We have filed a chargesheet against 17 accused in the #Renukaswamy murder case, says #Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda.
Police Commissioner B Dayananda told reporters: “We have completed the investigation about the Renukaswamy murder case. We will… pic.twitter.com/6lUq8aTOtN
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) September 4, 2024
Police sources said Pavithra, who is accused number one, was the “major cause” for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.
The information on the police remand note indicates that Pavithra herself was present at the site of the murder of Renukaswamy.
Police have seized the slipper, clothes, materials and other documents connected to Darshan, from Pavithra’s house.
A resident of the district headquarters town of Chitradurga, Renukaswamy worked with a pharmacy company.
According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.
The police said Darshan had contacted several individuals soon after the alleged killing. Another accused has confessed that the victim was administered an electric shock.
Darshan’s gang member Dhanaraj D alias Raja, who is accused number nine in the case, is the one who had allegedly given Renukaswamy electric shocks, they said. Police have seized an “Electric Shock Torch” from his house.
Darshan, in his revised statement, has admitted to obtaining ₹40 lakh from his friend Mohan Raj to escape from adverse legal actions against him and to cover up conspiracy and destruction of evidence, the police said.
₹37.4 lakh was recovered from Darshan’s house, they said, adding that another ₹3 lakh was recovered from his wife to whom he had given the sum.
Renukaswamy allegedly commented on the social media account of Gowda, accusing her of creating a rift between the actor and his wife. He also allegedly used “indecent language” and posted offensive messages, according to police sources.
“It was Pavithra who instigated Darshan to punish Renukaswamy. Accordingly, the plan was hatched,” the police said. “Darshan engaged the Chitradurga unit of Darshan Fan Club Convenor Raghavendra alias Raghu, who obtained all information about Renukaswamy.”
Renukaswamy’s wife Sahana said Raghavendra picked up her husband on Friday night from near their house. The victim was abducted and taken to a shed in the Kamakshipalya area in Bengaluru, the sources said.
“Darshan beat up Renukaswamy with a belt. After he fell unconscious, his accomplices thrashed him with sticks. Further, they threw him against a wall, which proved fatal,” they said adding there were multiple bone fractures all over his body.
After he died, his body was dumped in a stormwater drain. A food delivery boy who noticed dogs eating a human body alerted the police.
When the police were working on the case, two accused approached Kamakshipalya police and “confessed” to having killed Renukaswamy over a financial dispute.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Mahesh M Goudar)
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