Kannada actor Darshan Thogudeepa has admitted to repeatedly kicking Renukaswamy and hitting him with a branch amid the ongoing murder investigation. The admission — outlined in the chargesheet filed by the Bengaluru Police — comes mere days after videos of the a shirtless Renukaswamy pleading for mercy before his murder went viral. A Bengaluru court extended the judicial custody of the accused till September 12 on Monday.
“Renukaswamy was already tired by the time I saw him. It appeared like he was already assaulted. I kicked him near his neck, chest and head. I hit him with my hands and a wooden branch. I asked Pavithra Gowda to hit him with her slipper,” CNN-News18 quoted the chargesheet to add.
The 33-year-old Darshan fan was found dead near a storm water drain in the Sumanahalli area of Karnataka on June 9. According to reports police sources, he had sent sent obscene messages to Gowda — which in turn enraged Darshan.
One of the accused — identified as a member of his fan club — had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in RR Nagar on the pretext of a meeting with Darshan. He is believed to have been tortured extensively and murdered within this shed. The post-mortem report indicates that the Chitradurga native died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.
Gowda — named as accused number one in the chargesheet — is believed to have been the "major cause" behind the murder of Renukaswamy. Officials said the probe had found she instigated the other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime. The police had submitted a 3,991-page preliminary chargesheet to the court earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Darshan has filed a writ petition in the High Court, requesting a directive to restrain media outlets from broadcasting or publishing any details from the chargesheet. The 47-year-old actor was shifted to Ballari jail after a after a photograph of him hanging out with three others on the lawns of the Parappana Agrahara Central prison went viral.
(With inputs from agencies)
