Over 200 evidence collected against actor Darshan: Police
Home minister G Parameshwara said that there was no question of showing a soft corner for anyone about the investigation into the Renukaswamy murder case
Over 200 pieces of physical and technical evidence have been collected in the Renukaswamy murder case, in which actor Darshan is the prime accused, a senior police officer said on Monday.
The officer said that matching fingerprints of over 10 accused, including Darshan and Pavithra Gowda, have been discovered on various objects related to the crime scene.
“The evidence was collected from the shed where the murder took place, the security guard’s room where the body was kept, the vehicle used for transportation, the site where the body was dumped, the victim’s clothes, and the weapons used in the attack. The fingerprints on the accused’s clothing were also analysed. The preliminary forensic report has confirmed that the fingerprints match those of the accused. This evidence will bolster the prosecution’s case in the upcoming trial,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Also Read | Actor Darshan case: Chargesheet to be filed after collecting evidence in Renukaswamy murder
The investigation has also revealed that the SIM cards used by Darshan, Pavithra, and other accused were registered under different individual’s names. This was discovered when police tracked the call and message details through duplicate SIM cards, the officer said.
Pavithra was using a number registered in the name of a Bengaluru resident Manoj, while Darshan’s number was registered in CP Hemanth’s name.
Further scrutiny revealed that other accused were also using SIM cards registered under aliases, complicating the case. One number was registered to someone named Suparna Goshal, a senior manager at a private company, while another was registered to a person named Velu from Girinagar, Bengaluru, the officer said.
Following the investigations, the police has issued notices to other names that have come up in the case for further questioning. The officer said that Karthik Purohit, associated with one of the accused, has been called for questioning again after initial interrogation revealed his presence at the crime scene. Samatha, a friend of Pavithra Gowda, is under scrutiny for allegedly paying ₹23,000 through a phone payment to an accused person.
Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested on June 11 for his alleged involvement in the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan who had reportedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda.
On Monday, home minister G Parameshwara said that there was no question of showing a soft corner for anyone about the investigation into the Renukaswamy murder case in which Darshan and Pavithra Gowda have been arrested.
“There are procedures, after collecting sufficient evidence, a charge sheet will be filed. I have already said that there is no need to protect anyone in this case, and it will not be done,” he said.
When asked by when the probe will be completed, he said: “Whatever action has to be taken as per law will be initiated. I and chief minister Siddaramaiah have said time and again that we will take action without any consideration.”
Regarding the re-induction of inspector Girish Naik in the investigation team, the home minister said such changes are subject to administrative requirements and decisions on matters such as who should be part of the investigation are taken by the police department.
With PTI inputs