Murder-accused actor Darshan shifted to Ballari jail amid tight security

Bengaluru: Clad in a black T-shirt with sunglasses hanging from the collar, Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa on Thursday arrived at the Central Prison in Ballari.  

The Kannada A-lister is in judicial custody till September 9, along with 16 others, for the murder of Chitradurga native Renukaswamy. 

Darshan's transfer out of Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara prison, where he was languishing since June 22, was approved by the court on Tuesday after a viral photograph of him hobnobbing with gangsters, smoking, sipping a cuppa and relaxing inside the prison went viral on Sunday, prompting the authorities to suspend jail staff, including the Chief Superintendent of Prisons, and registering two fresh cases against the actor. 

Well-placed police sources revealed to DH that the actor was escorted out of the Bengaluru prison by a police SUV at around 4.15 am. He was moved into a police van near Chikkaballapur, which arrived at the Ballari prison around 9.45 am. 

Sources said that the actor was escorted via an alternate route (Bengaluru-Chikkaballapur-Joladarasi via Anantapur) to avoid security lapses, as the actor’s fans were expected to gather. An unshaven Darshan entered the prison flanked by police officials in a black Puma T-shirt.

He was seen without his hairpiece but carried what appeared to be a patterned pullover jacket in his left hand, held a water bottle in his right hand, and hung aviator sunglasses from the t-shirt collar. He also appeared to be wearing a silver bracelet on his right hand. Below the Puma branding was the phrase: ‘JUSTICE. DIGNITY. EQUALITY. PEACE’. This angered the senior officers, who took the security staff in charge of the escort to task.

Multiple reports suggested that senior officers also issued a notice seeking an explanation. However, none of these mattered to the actor’s fans as hundreds of them flocked from nearby villages in Ballari to see him.“Just to catch a glimpse of him, many of us followed the escort from almost 15 kilometres to Ballari city,” a self-claimed fan told a Kannada TV channel.

Apart from Darshan, some of the other jailed suspects in Renukaswamy’s murder were also moved to prisons in different districts. Pawan K, Raghavendra and Nandish were moved to Mysuru jail, Jagadish to Shivamogga jail, Dhanraj D to Dharwad jail, Vinay V to Vijayapura jail, Nagaraju to Kalaburagi jail, Laxman to Shivamogga jail and Pradosh to Belagavi jail.

Darshan’s close friend Pavithra Gowda and two other suspects Anukumar and Deepak will remain at the Bengaluru prison. Meanwhile, a team of officials continued their investigation at the Bengaluru prison about the smuggling of contraband, mobile devices and the recent leak about a crime branch raid. 

Chikkanna quizzed; probe continues

Actor Chikkanna appeared before the police around 9 am for questioning as he had met Darshan recently in prison.

Sources said that the line of questioning was related to what the conversation was between the two and whether Chikkanna was cajoled. “I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to speak (after recording statement under CrPC Section 164),” Chikkanna, who was served the notice on Wednesday, told reporters. “I have responded to their questions. As I am also a witness, I won’t comment further. If they call me again, I will, of course, cooperate.” During the probe, police had found that Chikkanna was in a party with Darshan at Stonny Brook restobar in RR Nagar hours before Renukaswamy’s murder.