Actor Darshan's police custody extended by 2 days; 'partner' Pavithra Gowda sent to judicial custody

Bengaluru, June 20 (IANS) A Karnataka court on Thursday extended the police custody of Kannada superstar Darshan and three of his associates by two days till June 22 in connection with the brutal murder of a fan of the actor. 

Along with Darshan, the police custody of three other accused in the case, Dhanraj, Vinay, and Pradosh, has been extended.

The court also sent Pavithra Gowda, Darshan's 'partner' and co-star who is the first accused in the case, to judicial custody along with other accused persons, who will be taken to the Central Prison on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others have been arrested on charges of murdering Renukaswamy (33), a resident of Chitradurga.

The probe has revealed that Renukaswamy was a big fan of Darshan and had sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media. The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and brutally tortured to death.

Special public prosecutor Prasanna Kumar submitted before the court on Thursday that the four accused, including Darshan, are not cooperating with the police to track down the mobile phone of the deceased, which is crucial evidence in this case. 

Darshan’s counsel Ranganath said, “Surprisingly, the prosecution claimed before the court that they have an eyewitness to the case. They also argued that the police have to find out the source of the Rs 30 lakh cash seized in connection with the case."

“The remand application was not provided to us. Unless the remand application is given, the submissions made in the court will not stand. The magistrate took note of this objection and mentioned it in the order. We will take the matter to the high court, and there is precedence of the accused being freed when the remand application is not provided to the counsel of the accused,” Ranganath said.

Sources claimed that on Wednesday, Darshan reportedly admitted to his involvement in the murder case, as per the remand copy submitted to the 24th ACMM court. 

According to the remand copy, Darshan gave Rs 30 lakh to Pradosh, an accused in the case, to manage the police and lawyers, and to pay those who disposed of the body. The police have reportedly seized the money from Pradosh's residence.