Renukaswamy murder case: Karnataka police to ask I-T to join probe over involvement of ₹78 lakh

Kannada actor Darshan, his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others have been arrested for abducting and brutally torturing Renukaswamy to death on June 8.

Published on: Jun 23, 2024, 12:00:05 IST

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The Karnataka police have decided to ask the Income Tax department to join the investigation into Renukaswamy murder case in view of the alleged involvement of about ₹78 lakh in the execution of the crime.

Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, being brought to the crime scene for investigation, in Bengaluru. (PTI)

Kannada actor Darshan, his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others have been arrested for abducting and brutally torturing Renukaswamy of Chitradurga to death on June 8.

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According to police, Darshan and his gang have so far spent ₹78 lakh to cover up the crime and destroy material evidences.

“There is lot of money involved and we don’t know how much money they would have raised through unfair means to get rid of this case. Hence, we have decided to include the I-T department in the case,” a police officer said.

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So far cash to the tune of ₹70.4 lakh has been seized from the actor, while ₹7.6 lakh is yet to be recovered. During the investigation, police found Darshan’s involvement and subsequently the entire case came out in open.

In his revised statement, Darshan admitted to obtaining ₹40 lakh from his friend Mohan Raj for escaping from adverse legal actions against him and to cover up conspiracy and destruction of evidence, they said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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