Kannada actor Darshan arrested for fan's alleged murder: Timeline of a murder mystery straight out of movies

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his partner Pavithra Gowda were taken into custody by the Bengaluru police on June 11 for the alleged murder of a man.

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his partner of 10 years, actor Pavithra Gowda, have been ordered by the court to be remanded in police custody till June 17. The couple was detained by the Bengaluru police on June 11 for their alleged involvement in the murder of Renukaswamy. A timeline of events so far. (Also Read: After Darshan's arrest, his partner and Kannada actor Pavithra Gowda in police custody in murder case)

Darshan married Vijayalakshmi 21 years ago but has been in a relationship with Pavithra Gowda for 10 years.

June 8: 33-year-old pharmacist Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, allegedly sent abusive messages to Pavithra on Instagram after she revealed her decade-old relationship with the actor. Darshan married Vijayalakshmi in 2003 but has been in a relationship with Pavithra.

When Darshan learns of the messages, he finds out that Renukaswamy lives in Chitradurga, 200 km away. Darshan allegedly contacts Raghavendra, who heads his fan club there, and asks him to bring Renukaswamy to Bengaluru.

Allegedly, Renukaswamy is taken to a shed in RR Nagar, where he’s assaulted and dies of multiple injuries. His body is dumped in a drain near Summanahalli. According to the police, Darshan and Pavithra were present at the shed during the assault and killing.

PTI quoted police sources as saying, “Darshan beat up Renukaswamy with a belt. After he fell unconscious, his accomplices thrashed him with sticks. Further, they threw him against a wall, which proved fatal.”

June 9: The police get a call after a food delivery boy spots the body in the drain due to stray dogs. Police registered a murder case after noticing injury marks on the body.

June 10: Two men turn up at Kamakshipalya police station and claim they killed Renukaswamy at a shed near RR Nagar over a financial dispute. After police pull call records, Darshan and Pavithra’s alleged connection to the case is explored. They find out that Renukaswamy was brought to Bengaluru on Darshan’s behest.

June 11: Police pick up Darshan on Tuesday morning at a hotel in Mysuru. He’s brought to the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station for questioning. Pavithra is also picked up by police from her residence near RR Nagar. Police had to put up barricades around the police station in Bengaluru to hold back eager fans who were calling for his release.

Other accused, including K Pawan, Nandish, Karthik, Keshavamurthy, Nikhil Naik, M Lakshmana - president of the Chitradurga unit of Darshan Fan Association Raghavendra alias Raghu, R Nagaraju, and M Deepak Kumar, were arrested for their alleged involvement.

After medical tests, all the accused, Pavithra listed as A1 and Darshan as A2, are produced before the court, where a judge remands them to police custody until June 17.

TV9 Kannada reports that more than 10 donne biryani packets were brought to Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station for dinner.

June 12: Bengaluru police seize cars used in the murder, including a Jeep belonging to Darshan. The police also take four of the accused to the spot to recreate the crime scene, according to PTI.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara says the police have been given a free hand in the case against ‘repeat offender’ Darshan, according to the news portal.