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7 prison officials suspended after viral clips show murder accused actor Darshan smoking and making a video call

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government said seven officials of Bengaluru Central Jail have been suspended and a high-level investigation launched after videos and pictures circulated on social media showing Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, the main accused in a murder case, receiving special treatment in jail.

In the videos and pictures doing the rounds on social media since Sunday evening, Darshan, who is lodged in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Jail, seems to be enjoying several amenities. In one picture, the actor is seen relaxing in the open air with other inmates, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette. In another widely shared video, Darshan is seen smiling and waving at the camera on a video call with an aide.

“Around 4.30 pm yesterday, I got to know the news about the developments at Parappana Agrahara. Darshan along with 3-4 others was relaxing and drinking tea… the photos of this have gone viral. I have spoken to the Director General (Prisons) and sent officials to the spot for further investigation,” Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara told reporters on Monday.

He said jail guards Sharana Basappa Amingad and Prabhu S. Khandelwal and five subordinates – Thippeswamy LS, Srikant Talwar, Venkappa Korthi, Sampath Kumar Kadapati and Basappa Teli – had been suspended.

Parameshwara said the government would take further action after the probe report. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the authorities to shift the accused in the case to different jails across the state.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken serious note of the case of actor Darshan and others being given preferential treatment in Parappana Agrahara Jail and has ordered that the officials involved be suspended immediately. Darshan and the others should be shifted to other jails. The Chief Minister has directed the Attorney General to visit the jail and submit a report on the incident,” said an official post by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on “X”.

Darshan, his alleged partner Pavithra Gowda and several other accomplices have been in jail for two months for the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. They are said to have killed the pharmacy employee because she had sent Gowda “objectionable messages” on the social media platform Instagram.

Shiva Gouda, Renukaswamy's father, told reporters that Darshan did not appear to feel any “remorse” for the crime he had committed.

“I have faith in the police and the justice system. But I am surprised how this could be allowed to happen. This is very shocking news for us. I ask the government to investigate this and give appropriate instructions,” he said.

Read also: Manhunt for Instagram user and taxi to Bengaluru – how Kannada actor Darshan “planned” a murder

“Plea for home cooking”

In the second week of July, Darshan had petitioned the court to allow him to eat high-protein home-cooked meals to maintain his figure, claiming that he was suffering from digestive problems due to the food he was given in prison. The petition was rejected.

“This is the Congress government's take on the VVIP mentality and corruption. A murder charge… a high-profile case… there are pictures of him getting preferential treatment. Is that Justice Rahul Gandhi? The tears of the poor man who was murdered are incessant. You are probably wondering whether this person (Darshan) was sent to jail or some other home by the Congress government,” said Shehzad Poonawalla, a BJP spokesperson. ANI Monday.

This is not the first such incident reported from Bengaluru Central Jail. In July 2017, CM Siddaramaiah (during his first term) had ordered a high-level inquiry to probe the alleged favours shown to VK Sasikala, the former leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagam (AIADMK) who was jailed for disproportionate asset transfer.

D. Roopa, the then Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), had accused the prison authorities of accepting a bribe of Rs 20 million from Sasikala to give her preferential treatment.

In her report, Roopa had claimed that during her visit to Parappana Agrahara, she found that Sasikala, who was serving a four-year prison sentence, had been provided with a separate kitchen and had received 28 visitors in 31 days between February 16 and March 18, 2017.

It also described other serious irregularities, including cases of drug abuse, uncontrolled prisoner movements and attacks by prisoners on medical staff to obtain reports in their favour. The report also claimed that the boss of the stamp counterfeiters, Abdul Karim Telgi, had other prisoners at his disposal.

There have been similar allegations from other major prisons, such as Delhi's Tihar Jail, where “VIP treatment” was reported for prominent inmates, including politicians and gangsters.

In November 2022, a Tihar Jail superintendent was suspended after it was revealed that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Satyendar Jain had received special treatment.

In April, former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who served as Director General (Prisons), told a news agency that VVIP inmates were a “major scourge” for the authorities.

(Edited by Sanya Mathur)

Read also: Kannada actor Darshan and partner Pavithra arrested for alleged involvement in murder over ‘offensive messages’

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