Kannada superstar Darshan Thoogudeepa was shifted from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru to Ballari jail on Thursday. Darshan, who is serving remand in the Renukaswamy murder case was shifted after images emerged showing the actor receiving special treatment in prison.
The 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Bengaluru granted police permission to transfer Darshan to Ballari prison on Tuesday. According to police, he was taken to Ballari prison via the Andhra Pradesh route considering security reasons and to avoid his fans.
Police told PTI that he was taken out of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in a police SUV and then moved into a police van near Chikkaballapur on the way to the district headquarters town of Ballari. The actor was seen wearing a black t-shirt with a sun glass hung to its neckline and blue jeans, and carrying a water bottle and some clothes on reaching Ballari jail, PTI reported.
In the images emerged, the accused actor is seen having a leisure time with three others – criminal Wilson Garden Naga, Nagaraj, the actor's manager and co-accused and Kulla Seena, another inmate. Visuals have also emerged of Darshan talking to someone over a video call.
33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor Darshan, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which enraged Darshan and prompted him to plan and execute his murder. Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 other associates were arrested for murdering Renukaswamy.
Renukaswamy's body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9. According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries. Renukaswamy was allegedly tortured and murdered in a shed in RR Nagar.
The Karnataka government had ordered a probe and suspended nine prison officials including the chief jail superintendent and a jail superintendent for providing special treatment to the actor.
