Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda vowed on Tuesday that the authorities will bring the perpetrators of Renukaswamy’s murder to justice.
Following Darshan’s arrest, social media has been outraged with comments, reactions and opinions from celebrities, activists and the actor’s fans. In Karnataka, the situation has escalated to protests calling for a permanent ban on the Kannada star.
Here are the harrowing details of the shocking murder that has stirred national outrage:
- Darshan and Pavithra Gowda and 17 others were arrested with the murder of Renukaswamy, whose body was found in a stormwater drain in Kamakshipalya, Bengaluru.
- A Bengaluru court on Saturday extended the police custody of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda till June 20.
- According to the police, Swamy started sending explicit messages, including photos of his genitals, to Pavithra using Instagram profile named ‘Reddy2205’ under the alias Tanisha Reddy.
- S Renukaswamy, who allegedly suffered fatal beating at the hands of his idol and accomplices, was found to have sustained 15 injuries according to a postmortem examination. The cause of death was determined to be due to electric shock and haemorrhage.
Given electric shocks
A device believed to have been used to administer electric shocks to S Renukaswamy was recovered on Sunday night from the possession of the accused Dhanaraj, also known as Raju.
According to a senior police officer, Dhanaraj had been evading arrest since June 10, when four individuals falsely claimed responsibility for Renukaswamy’s murder and surrendered.
Police managed to persuade Dhanaraj to surrender with the help of his family and friends, tracking him down to Rajarajeshwarinagar on Sunday evening and promptly arresting him.
The device seized from Dhanaraj was identified as a megger, an electrical instrument typically used to test and measure insulation resistance.
The police officer further stated that during the assault on Renukaswamy, the accused had summoned Dhanaraj to bring the megger.
Dhanaraj arrived at the parking area on his scooter and handed over the device to the other assailants, assisting them in using it to administer electric shocks to Renukaswamy.
Chilling details
Renukaswamy was brutally beaten for four hours on Saturday afternoon in a seized-vehicle parking yard in Pattanagere, near RR Nagar, police reported.
The autopsy revealed multiple injuries: heavy bleeding in the abdomen, a strong blow to the head, and blood on the groin, hands, feet, back and chest.
Following the autopsy report on Thursday, Kamakshipalya police seized a mini truck (Ashok Leyland Dost) from the yard where the assault occurred.
The truck had been repossessed by a bank for defaulted EMIs. According to suspect statements, the gang attacked Renukaswamy near this vehicle, holding his neck and repeatedly banging his head against it.
During a site inspection on Wednesday, the accused pointed out the truck to the police, who then took it for further investigation.
Police also seized wooden logs, a leather belt, and a rope from the Pattanagere shed, believed to have been used in the assault. These items, stained with blood, were sent to a forensic lab for analysis.
Pavithra was the first one to attack
According to the accused’s confession, Pavithra was the first to assault Renukaswamy with her footwear before others joined in, at a seized-vehicle parking yard in Pattanagere, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, where he was held captive on June 8.
Police recovered Pavithra’s clothes during a search at her building, which also included Pavan K’s house on the ground floor.
Police conducted searches at the homes of other accused individuals: Vinay in Pattanagere, where clothes and evidence were seized, and Deepak in BEML Layout, RR Nagar, where his clothes and footwear were collected. Four accused were taken to Chitradurga for a site investigation, and Arun Kumar was allowed to attend his father’s funeral. During a search at Arun Kumar’s house, police found Rs 5 lakh cash and gold.
The evidence
Police initially searched Darshan’s house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Pavithra’s residence in Kenchenahalli for his clothes and footwear, not considering they might be at his wife’s house.
Darshan informed interrogators that his clothes and footwear from the crime day were at his RR Nagar residence. Police, along with FSL officials, searched his home late Saturday night and found his jeans and T-shirt on the terrace.
When asked about his footwear, Darshan suggested checking a cupboard on the ground floor, but the shoes were not there. His aide, Pavan, mentioned that Darshan’s costume assistant, Raju, might have taken the shoes to Mysuru. Police contacted Raju, who said he had given some items to Darshan’s wife, Vijayalakshmi.
Police reached Vijayalakshmi’s apartment, and she brought Darshan’s shoes to the security room. Darshan identified the blue loafers he wore on the day of the crime, which FSL officials then seized.
Offered 20 lakh
Four individuals who initially confessed to the murder of 33-year-old S Renuka Swamy, citing a “financial dispute,” were allegedly promised Rs 20 lakh to cover up the involvement of Kannada film star Darshan in the crime, according to police officials.
