Murder accused actor Darshan enjoys coffee and cigarettes in prison: Photo

Bengaluru: A photograph of jailed Kannada superstar Darshan having a cup of coffee and a cigarette in the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru has gone viral on social media, raising fresh allegations of preferential treatment by the authorities. The photograph surfaced on Monday, IANS reported.

Darshan is the second accused in the kidnapping and brutal murder of his fan Renukaswamy. The photo shows Darshan holding a coffee cup in his hand while sitting cross-legged on a chair. In his other hand, he is holding a cigarette and enjoying himself happily in the jail. The photo also shows Darshan sitting on chairs with his manager and two other jail inmates and enjoying himself without any fear or guilt.

Darshan is being kept in a special barrack in the prison. The photo went viral on Sunday, raising suspicions that Darshan and his close associates were being provided special accommodation in the prison.

According to sources, the jail authorities have given Darshan free hand to move around the jail and meet the inmates. This development has shocked the family of Renukaswamy, a fan who was brutally murdered by Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 others. The case is in the final stages of filing a chargesheet and the development is seen as a setback for Darshan, who is hoping to apply for bail soon after the police file the chargesheet.

However, there has been no comment from the police on the incident so far.

The gruesome murder of Renukaswamy took place on June 8 in Bengaluru. He was kidnapped from his hometown Chitradurga, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed and tortured to death. After the murder, his body was thrown into a canal. The incident came to light when the security personnel of a private residence saw the body being dragged behind him by a pack of dogs.

Renukaswamy leaves behind elderly parents, a pregnant wife and a sister. When the police began investigation, four of the accused surrendered and confessed to the murder over a financial matter. After Kamakshipalya police questioned them, the involvement of actor Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and others came to light.

On the morning of June 11, actor Darshan was arrested in Mysuru while Pavithra Gowda and some of his associates were arrested in Bengaluru. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda recently said that the fan murder case involving Kannada superstar Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others has reached its final stage. The Police Commissioner said that oral, circumstantial and technical evidence related to the sensational murder had been collected and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Bengaluru from where about 70 per cent of the reports had been received.

It was revealed that the accused had brutally hacked Renukaswamy to death for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda. The court had extended the judicial remand of Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others till August 28.