MYSURU: Trouble continues to mount for actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is already under arrest for the murder of 34-year-old S Renukaswamy of Chitradurga. The Forest Department, investigating the illegal possession of bar-headed geese at Darshan’s farmhouse on the Mysuru-T Narasipura Road, will be submitting its chargesheet within the next two days.
Forest officials booked a case against the actor, his wife Vijayalakshmi, and their farmhouse manager Nagaraj under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The charges pertain to the illegal confinement of the migratory birds at the farmhouse in Kempaianahundi village, an incident that came to light in January 2023.
The controversy began when Darshan reportedly mentioned in an interview that he had bar-headed geese at his farmhouse and even showcased the birds kept in a cage. The viral video of this interview prompted immediate action from the Forest Department.
A forest mobile squad, led by DCF Bhaskar, raided the farmhouse at night and rescued the birds from their cage. Bar-headed geese, which are protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, were subsequently released into Hadinaru Lake near Mysuru after obtaining court permission.
Each winter, thousands of bar-headed geese migrate from Mongolia and Tibet, flying over the Himalayas to reach the Indian subcontinent, only to return in April.
Mysuru Circle Chief Conservator of Forests Malathi Priya confirmed that the chargesheet will be filed in court within 2-3 days.
