Challenging star Darshan arrested for murder with 12 others 

Challenging star Darshan Thoogudeepa who is a famous Kannada actor was arrested for the murder of his alleged fan named “Renukaswamy” .He was caught by the police in his farmhouse in Mysore and later was arrested for the murder.Along with Thoogudeepa, 12 others were also charged and sent to police police custody for seven days. The twelve others also include his partner Pavitra Gowda, Pavan, Vinay, Pradosh, Nandeesha, Deepak, Lakshman, Nagaraju, Karthik, Nikhil, Keshav Murthy, and Raghavendra.

According to police sources,Renukaswamy was a huge fan of actor Darshan.He allies from Chitradurga, Karnataka and he works in a pharmacy. The fan was reportedly disappointed with the actor’s separation from his wife Vijaylakshmi seemingly because of his relationship with Pavitra Gowda. So the fan went to text obscene messages against the actor’s partner Pavitra Gowda to defame her.

Later Renukaswamy was murdered with his body dumped in a drain in Kamakshipalya in Bengaluru on June 8th 2024.According to the police reports, the fan of the actor was kidnapped from Chitradurga and was kept under hostage in the actor’s farmhouse and was tortured causing injuries in his body. The body was found the next day by a security guard of a nearby apartment.

The investigation took a significant turn when Raghu Darshan, also known as Raghvendra, was arrested alongside two others. Raghvendra, a district leader of Darshan’s fan club, provided crucial information during questioning, helping to piece together the events.

Authorities were able to identify the body through CCTV footage and forensic analysis. This led them to three suspects who allegedly held the victim, Renukaswamy, captive in a shed. One of these suspects was linked to Darshan’s fan club, and it was through another member of the club that Renukaswamy was initially identified.

Following the discovery of an unidentified male body believed to be in his 30s, along with signs of trauma, a murder investigation has been launched. Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda revealed that CCTV footage and other forensic evidence were instrumental in identifying the deceased as Renukaswamy.

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Who is the challenging star Darshan Thoogudeepa?  

Thoogudeepa is an actor and producer from the Kannada film industry.He is aged 47 years old and was born on 16th february 1977.His father Thoogadeepa Srivivas was also an actor in the Kannada film industry.His major films include majestic in 2001,kariya,swamy in 2005,Dattha in 2006  and Porki in 2010. He was also awarded the filmfare award for his movie Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna in 2013.

He has been part of many controversies in the past years. In 2011 his wife Vijaylakshmi filed a police complaint stating that she was a victim of domestic violence.Also an attempted murder case was filed for which he was arrested for 14 days.Later the actor had apologised to his fans for the then controversies.

Who is Pavitra Gowda ?

Pavitra Gowda is a Kannada actor who has acted in a few movies like  Preethi Kithabhu and Chatrigalu Sir Chatrigalu. But she wasn’t as popular as Darshan. She runs a boutique in RR nagar which is her main source of income.She was married to Sanjay singh But is separated from her husband who also has a daughter from the marriage. According to sources in 2011 , Pavitra got close to Darshan and rumours started to spread indicating they were dating. 

Photo credit: facebook

Later Pavitra  posted an instagram reel with Darshan to confirm their relationship. This reel received major backlash as many fans felt that what Darshan was doing was against his wife Vijaylakshmi. But on the other hand, several fans also came in support of Pavitra Gowda. Her role in this murder is very significant as it’s reported that the murder happened because of the deceased social media against Pavitra Gowda that instigated the popular actor.