In June, Darshan Thoogudeepa and eleven other people were taken into custody in relation to Renukaswamy’s murder.

The Indian Express was able to obtain the viral image, which features Darshan, Wilson Garden Naga, and other individuals sitting on the prison’s lawn and smoking cigarettes while carrying a cup.

A picture and video from undated depicting Kannada cinema actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is imprisoned, enjoying a cigarette and having a phone conversation with criminal J Nagaraj, also known as Wilson Garden Naga, inside Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison have gone viral.

The viral image, which The Indian Express was able to view, has Darshan, Wilson Garden Naga, and other inmates relaxing on the prison’s lawn and smoking cigarettes while carrying a cup in their hands. Another footage shows Darshan Thoogudeepa making a video call.

In June, Darshan and eleven other people were taken into custody in relation to the murder of Renukaswamy, a Chitradurga native.

How the Murder Happened

Darshan’s ardent admirer, Renuka Swami sent lewd messages to Pavithra which led to the brutal murder. Renuka, who works in a pharmacy company, was abducted from Chitradurga on June 8. The next day, Renukaswamy’s body was found in a drain near Sumanahalli Bridge. The postmortem report says that Renuka Swamy was brutally beaten before his death. Swami was attacked with wooden sticks and then tied up and electrocuted. The cause of death was internal bleeding and injuries caused by stab wounds, including to the head and abdomen. The Bengaluru police had stated that 17 people, including Kannada actor Darshan and actress Pavithra, were involved in the conspiracy to kill Renukaswamy. Pavitra is the main accused in the case. Darshan is the second defendant.

A jail guard informed The Indian Express that they were aware of the video and picture and that the Director General of Police (Prisons) had ordered an investigation into the claims, even though The Indian Express was unable to independently confirm them.

Kashinath Shivannagoudar, the father of Renukaswamy, reacted to the widely shared image and video by expressing his distress about the pending probe. We trust the state police, yet it is disheartening that the murder suspects are enjoying. We believe that an investigation by the Central Bureau of probe (CBI) is necessary,” he added.

Darshan’s police custody ended on June 22, and he and his friends were sent to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. According to police, the chargesheet for the murder of Renukaswamy is almost ready to be handed to the court, and the investigation into the case is nearing its conclusion.

The Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act, 2000 was enforced by the Bengaluru police on Wilson Garden Naga last year in response to the murder of South Bengaluru criminal Mahesh N, also known as Siddapura Mahesh.

Reports regarding the provision of “VIP treatment” to prisoners in Bengaluru Central Prison have surfaced previously. Sasikala, the head of the AIADMK at the time, is also said to have benefited from preferential treatment while incarcerated due to a case involving excessive assets.