Bengaluru court extends custody of Kannada actor Darshan and girlfriend Pavithra Gowda till September 12 | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: A Court in Bengaluru extended the judicial custody of the Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepahis girlfriend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others until September 12.
The group is accused of Renukaswamy's murder. The 24th Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court conducted the hearing through video conference as the accused are lodged in different prisons in the state.
Darshan, currently in Ballari Jail was transferred there from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
The transfer came with the court's approval after a photograph surfaced showing him chatting with others on the prison lawn, sparking public outrage.
The photo shows Darshan in a relaxed state, holding a cigarette and a coffee cup. A video has also surfaced showing him on a video call from prison.
Nine prison officials, including the chief warden of Parappana Agrahara Jail, have been suspended for their “misconduct” in connection with the alleged special treatment given to Darshan. Three FIRs have been filed under sections of the Prisons Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including one against Darshan.
Last week, the police filed a provisional chargesheet totalling 3,991 pages. The court had earlier approved the transfer of other co-accused to different jails across the state. Co-accused Pawan, Raghavendra and Nandish are currently lodged in Mysuru jail, while Jagadish and Lakshmana are lodged in Shivamogga jail. Dhanraj, Vinay, Nagaraj and Pradosh are being held in Dharwad, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi/Gulbarga and Belagavi jails respectively.
Three accused – Pavithra Gowda, Anukumar and Deepak – are still detained in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, while four others – Ravi, Karthik, Nikhil and Keshavamurthy – were earlier shifted to Tumakuru Jail and remain detained there.
According to police sources, Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old fan of Darshan, allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra, which enraged Darshan and implicated him in the murder. Renukaswamy's body was discovered near a stormwater drain next to a flat in Sumanahalli on June 9.
Police reported that Raghavendra, a member of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, lured Renukaswamy to a hut in RR Nagar on the pretext that Darshan wanted to meet him. In this hut, Renukaswamy was allegedly tortured and murdered. The post-mortem report stated that Renukaswamy died of shock and haemorrhage caused by multiple blunt injuries.
Police sources identified Pavithra as the main instigator of Renukaswamy's murder. “Pavithra, who is the main accused, was the 'main cause' of Renukaswamy's murder. Investigation has revealed that she instigated, conspired with other accused and participated in the crime.”
The trial and investigation will continue as new details emerge. The extension of the pretrial detention indicates that the case is still under deliberation and investigation, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations against Darshan and his co-defendants.