Renukaswamy murder: Darshan admits borrowing ₹40 lakh to destroy evidence
Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, implicated in the Renukaswamy murder case, has reportedly confessed to borrowing ₹40 lakh from a friend to pay off other accused individuals and destroy evidence. Arrested on June 11, Darshan allegedly used these funds to silence witnesses of the crime, reported Times Now. According to reports, the 33-year-old Renukaswamy was tortured and killed on June 8, and he was found dead in a forest area near Chitradurga on June 9.
Funds and evidence seized from Darshan's residence
Police have stated that part of the ₹40 lakh loan was allegedly used to pay off the security guards at the shed where Renukaswamy was murdered, in exchange for their silence. In a related development, ₹37.4 lakh was recovered from a green Puma bag found at the actor's residence. An additional ₹4.5 lakh was reportedly seized from the residence of the head of Thoogudeepa's fan association.
Pavithra Gowda named as primary accused in murder case
Actor Pavithra Gowda, another suspect in the case, is reported to have physically assaulted Renukaswamy with her slippers. These slippers, along with clothes and other materials linked to Darshan, were seized from Gowda's house. Per PTI, she has been named as the primary accused for allegedly instigating the murder while Darshan is accused of executing it. A total of 17 people have been arrested so far in connection with this case.
'Obscene messages' to Gowda led to Renukaswamy's execution
According to police sources, Renukaswamy, a fan of Gowda, allegedly sent "obscene messages" to her, which reportedly enraged rumored boyfriend Darshan and led to his involvement in the murder. As part of their investigation, police are considering approaching social media giant Meta to retrieve data from Renukaswamy's deleted Instagram account, which may contain crucial evidence related to the case. The investigation is currently underway.
Meanwhile, the court extended police custody of accused individuals
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru court extended Thoogudeepa's police custody by two days on Thursday (June 20). 13 other accused individuals, including Gowda, were remanded to 14 days' judicial custody. Recently, the victim's autopsy report revealed that he was brutally attacked with wooden clubs, leading to his death due to shock and hemorrhage from multiple blunt injuries. Earlier, one of the accused, Dhanaraj, testified that an 'electric shock torch' was used to torture Renukaswamy, which has since been recovered.
