Photo of actor Darshan smoking and chilling in Bengaluru jail goes viral

Bengaluru: An undated photograph from inside the Bengaluru jail went viral on Sunday, showing imprisoned Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa smoking a cigarette and sipping a cup of tea.

Darshan and his 16 accomplices have been in custody since June 22 for the murder of Renukaswamy, 34, a native of Chitradurga.

Darshan is said to have planned and carried out Renukuswamy's murder after sending obscene messages to the actor's girlfriend, Pavithra Gowda.

Police said the investigation into this sensational murder case was in its final stages and the indictment would be presented to the court shortly.

The viral photo accessed DH shows the actor sitting on the porch of the prison in a plastic chair, puffing on a cigarette and holding a cup in his hand.

The alleged photo also features notorious historian “Wilson Garden” Naga in a black T-shirt, Darshan’s manager Nagaraj and a fourth unidentified man.

Naga, who is wanted for dozens of serious crimes, was arrested under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), 2022, which carries a jail term of five years without bail.

DH could not independently verify whether the photo was authentic.

Repeated phone calls to Malini Krishnamoorthy, Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), and Mallikarjun, the superintendent of the prison, remained unanswered.

Reacting to the photo, Renukaswamy's father expressed concern about the ongoing investigation.

“We trust the police, but seeing this, we feel that a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may be necessary,” said a distraught Kashinath S Shivanagowdru of Chitradurga. “This needs to be investigated thoroughly.”