Bengaluru Police ask Darshan to deposit his firearm

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Police have served a notice on murder-accused Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa, asking him to deposit his licensed firearm at the nearest police station. 

The actor has yet to comply, a senior police officer in the know said. 

"A notice has been served on him for safe deposit of the weapon as well as for cancellation of his arms licence,” the officer told DH. 

A police source said that the RR Nagar police last month sent a request to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration), seeking cancellation of Darshan’s firearm licence. The request came after the High Court of Karnataka granted bail to the actor in the Renukaswamy murder case. 

According to the police, since Darshan is out on bail, there are chances that he may threaten witnesses using the firearm. Accordingly, the notice was issued for the safe deposit of the weapon. 

Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, was found murdered near a stormwater drain in west Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli. The police arrested Darshan, his close friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others for the murder. 

On December 13, the high court granted conditional bail to Darshan, who was already out on interim bail on medical grounds.