Renukaswamy murder case | Darshan contacted several people soon after murder: Police

Bengaluru: Soon after Renukaswamy was murdered on June 9, Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who along with 16 others, was arrested in connection with the case, had contacted several people, investigations have revealed.

The details of the investigation so far were shared with the court through a remand application filed on Thursday, as the extended custody of Darshan and the others ended. 

According to the remand application seen by DH, the police sought extension of Darshan’s custody, based on the fact that he had contacted some people soon after the crime.

The prosecution argued that the actor’s custody was necessary to ascertain the motive behind it. 

Reports had earlier suggested that “some influential people” had tried to interfere with the investigation. Police officers, however, have ruled out any pressure on them.

DH reported on Wednesday that a minister had made a plea to a senior Cabinet colleague to help the A-lister. 

The remand application noted that Darshan (47), Dhanraj D (27), Vinay V (38) and Pradosh (40) did not cooperate with the investigation and tried to hide the facts. - 

Investigations revealed that Pradosh played the main role in the destruction of evidence and had taken another person to the crime scene, which he has failed to reveal, the remand application noted.

Custody extended

The custody of the four has been extended by two days till June 22. The rest were remanded in judicial custody.  

The investigators found that Pavithra Gowda, a close friend of the actor, was the major factor in Renukaswamy’s murder. She instigated it, conspired with the other accused and took part in the crime, the remand application noted.

Police had earlier said that Renukaswamy had sent objectionable messages to Pavithra on social media. It was also found that Pavithra and Darshan, along with others, used their fanbase to obstruct the investigation. 

‘Electric shock torch’ used

Police, on June 17, announced the arrest of Dhanraj, named as accused number nine.

During the probe, Dhanraj told police that he assaulted Renukaswamy and used the ‘electric shock torch’ to administer shocks to the victim. The device was seized subsequently by the police. However, Dhanraj is yet to reveal to the police where he obtained the device from and who else, along with him, visited the crime scene.

Through the remand application, the police told the court that Darshan, in his revised statement, admitted to obtaining Rs 40 lakh from his friend Mohan Raj “to escape the actions as per law and to hide the attempts made to cover up the crime and destroy evidence”. 

On June 19, the investigators recovered Rs 37.4 lakh from Darshan’s house and Rs 3 lakh that he had given to his wife. 

Cut-off box - Let law take its own course CM tells colleagues Bengaluru DHNS: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday reportedly asked his Cabinet colleagues not to publicly comment on the probe into the case in which actor Darshan is one of the accused. As the chief minister entered the Cabinet hall for the meeting he instructed his colleagues not to comment on the ongoing investigation into the case. “Let the law take its own course” Siddaramaiah is said to have told his colleagues. This is seen as the chief minister’s strategy to ensure that no minister raises this topic in the Cabinet meetings.