Darshan Thoogudeepa, a Kannada actor, was remanded to judicial custody until July 4th in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case, along with his four alleged accomplices. He had been in police custody since June 11th.
During the court proceedings, the Special Public Prosecutor requested that the accused be housed separately in various jails across Karnataka, a request contested by Darshan’s legal team.
Subsequently, Darshan and his associates were transferred to the central prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru. Outside the court, a large gathering of Darshan’s supporters rallied, chanting slogans in his favor. Darshan acknowledged them with waves from inside a police vehicle.
Earlier, thirteen other suspects, including Darshan’s friend Pavithra Gowda, had also been remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody.
The case involves a total of 17 accused individuals. Allegedly, Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, sent offensive messages to Gowda, provoking Darshan’s alleged involvement in the murder. Renukaswamy’s body was discovered near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli on June 9th, with the cause of death determined as shock and hemorrhage due to multiple blunt injuries, according to the post-mortem report.