In a new development in the kidnapping and murder case against Kannada actor Darshan, photos allegedly depicting the victim, Renukaswamy, being tortured before his death have surfaced. These images emerged after the Karnataka Police submitted a 3,991-page chargesheet on Wednesday.
According to IANS, one photo shows Renukaswamy shirtless and in tears while sitting on the ground in front of parked trucks. Another image depicts him unconscious in front of a truck, wearing a vest and blue jeans.
Sources from IANS reported that the photos were discovered on the phone of Darshan’s aide, Pavan, and have been collected as evidence by the police. The Karnataka Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the leaked photos.
Sources indicate that Pavan, who is also an accused in the case, took photos of Renukaswamy after kidnapping, assaulting, and detaining him in a shed. Pavan then went to a club where Darshan was socializing and showed him the photos. Following this, Darshan reportedly visited actor Pavithra Gowda’s home and brought her to the shed, where they continued to assault Renukaswamy, according to IANS sources.
The Karnataka Police’s chargesheet describes the alleged brutal torture Renukaswamy endured before his death. It details that Darshan and his associates broke Renukaswamy’s chest bones and inflicted a total of 39 injuries across his body, including a severe cut to his head.
The chargesheet also reveals that Darshan and his aides used an electrical device to administer shocks to Renukaswamy’s private parts to revive him after he lost consciousness from the repeated assaults.
Following the murder, Darshan and the other accused allegedly used their influence and financial resources to dispose of the body, attempt to destroy evidence, and falsely implicate others in order to evade charges, the chargesheet claims.
The Kannada actor, along with 16 others including his friend and actor Pavithra Gowda, is currently in judicial custody in connection with the murder of his fan, Renukaswamy.
The 33-year-old fan had reportedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which allegedly led to his beating death. His body was discovered near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli on June 9.
