• Source:JND
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 Kannada Actor Darshan News: Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his longtime partner, actress Pavithra Gowda, have been remanded in police custody until June 17 in connection with the murder of a fan, Renukaswamy.

The incident unfolded on June 8, when the 33-year-old pharmacist Renukaswamy, an ardent fan of Darshan, allegedly sent abusive messages to Pavithra Gowda on Instagram after she revealed her decade-old relationship with the actor. Darshan, who has been married to Vijayalakshmi since 2003, has reportedly been in a relationship with Pavithra for the same duration.

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According to the police, when Darshan came to know about the messages, he found that Renukaswamy lived in Chitradurga, approximately 200 kilometres away. Darshan is then alleged to have contacted Raghavendra, the head of his fan club in Chitradurga and instructed him to bring Renukaswamy to Bengaluru, as per the Economic Times report.

Reportedly, a fake profile, allegedly associated with the Chitradurga Darshan Fans' Association, contacted Renukaswamy and convinced him to leave his home under false pretences. One of Darshan's associates is said to have posed as a woman while communicating with Renukaswamy.

As per details that emerged from the investigation state that Renukaswamy was allegedly kidnapped from Chitradurga on Saturday morning and taken to a warehouse in Kamakshipalya, Bengaluru, where he was severerly beaten. According to a police officer, "Raghavendra and others locked Swamy in a shed belonging to Vinay in Pattanagare. First, Raghavendra, Jagadish, Raju, Karthik and Nikhil beat up Swamy. By evening, Darshan and others visited Swamy and a second round of thrashing took place. By late evening, Pavithra Gowda visited the shed and one more round of beating was carried out. Swamy died on the spot."

The police report that the gang inflicted severe injuries on Renukaswamy, slashing his nose, mouth and jaw. His body also showed burn marks, suggesting the use of a hot iron rod. Sources state that over 10 individuals, including Darshan, assaulted Renukaswamy, repeatedly throwing him against a wall. His remains were later discovered in a drainage area of Kamakshipalya, where they were being attacked by stray dogs, as per the Hindustan Times report.

The police have confirmed that both Darshan and Pavithra were present at the shed during the assault and killing. PTI quoted police sources as saying, "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."

On June 10, when two men approached the Kamakshipalya police station and claimed to have killed Renukaswamy over a financial dispute. However, after the police examined call records, Darshan and Pavithra's alleged involvement in the case came to light. It was discovered that Renukaswamy had been brought to Bengaluru on Darshan's instructions.

On June 11, the police apprehended Darshan at a hotel in Mysuru and Pavithra from her residence near RR Nagar. The arrest of the couple caused a commotion, with eager fans gathering outside the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station, calling for Darshan's release.

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The police have arrested several other accused individuals, including K Pawan, Nandish, Karthik, Keshavamurthy, Nikhil Naik, M Lakshmana (the president of the Chitradurga unit of the Darshan Fan Association), Raghavendra alias Raghu, R Nagaraju and M Deepak Kumar, for their alleged involvement in the case.

After undergoing medical examinations, all the accused, including Pavithra (listed as A1) and Darshan (listed as A2), were produced before the court, where they were remanded to police custody until June 17.