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- By Ridhi Suri
- Tue, 10 Sep 2024 10:15 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
According to the Bengaluru police chargesheet, actor Darshan Thoogudeepa brutally assaulted Renuka Swamy, including stomping on his groin and chest. The extensive 3,991-page chargesheet details the hours-long torture that led to Renuka Swamy's death. In his police statement, Darshan admitted to hitting the 33-year-old victim on the chest, neck, and head, and even directed actress Pavithra Gowda to hit him with her slipper. The document thoroughly outlines the violent actions committed by Darshan and his associates during the attack.
Pavithra, among the 17 individuals arrested in the Renuka Swamy murder case, is alleged to have incited Darshan and the other suspects to kill Renuka Swamy after he sent her obscene messages.
In his confession, Darshan admitted that when he saw Renuka Swamy, he appeared already battered. He confessed to kicking him in the neck, chest, and head, using both his hands and a wooden branch to assault him. Police sources indicate that Pavithra, the prime accused, was a key instigator in the murder, having conspired with others and actively participated in the crime. According to News18, Darshan revealed "I have been in a live-in relationship with Pavithra Gowda for 10 years. I found out about the kidnapping at 3 pm on June 8…Pavan, who works at (both mine and Pavithra Gowda’s house), informed me about it. Pavan mentioned that Renukaswamy was being held in a shed at Pattangere."
"Pavithra, Vinay and Pradosh went to the shed in a Scorpio car at 4.30 pm. Renukaswamy had already been assaulted before I arrived. When asked if he sent the obscene messages, he admitted to it. I asked him: ‘How can you maintain her with just a Rs 20,000 salary?' I forcefully kicked his head, neck and chest."
Further, it read, "I used a tree branch and my hands to assault him further. I called Pavithra Gowda from the car and had her hit him with her slippers. When instructed to fall at Pavithra’s feet and apologise, he complied. Pavan read out the messages sent by Renukaswamy. I saw the obscene photos sent by Renukaswamy, scolded him and kicked him again. While leaving, some boys from Chitradurga took photos with me.”
"At 7.30 pm, Pradosh came near his house and informed me of Renukaswamy’s death. While I was leaving, I asked, ‘Wasn’t he fine when I left?'”
“At 9 pm, Pradosh, Vinay, Nagaraj and Lakshman came to my house. Pradosh took Rs 30 lakh from me, saying he would handle the matter. Later, Pradosh returned and took another Rs 10 lakh. The day after the murder, I left for Mysore for a shoot. When I called Nagaraj and Pradosh, they assured me they would take care of everything.”
Revealing about torturing Renuka further, Darshan said "On Monday night, Pradosh, Nagaraj and Vinay came to the hotel in Mysore. When I inquired, they said that Nandish had strangled Renukaswamy. They also mentioned that Dhanraj electrocuted him and Pavan had assaulted him. They asked for more money, saying they would handle things by paying off people. On June 11, while I was in a hotel room in Mysore, the police arrested me."
Meanwhile, Renuka Swamy was found dead near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli on June 9. Raghavendra, an accused from Darshan’s fan club, lured Renuka Swamy to a shed in RR Nagar under the guise of a meeting with the actor. There, Renukaswamy was allegedly tortured and killed. The post-mortem revealed he died from shock and hemorrhage caused by multiple blunt injuries.