Bengaluru (PTI): A special court here on Thursday extended till August one the judicial custody of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa along with his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others in the Renukaswamy murder case.

All the 17 accused, including Darshan and Pavithra, were produced before the magistrate through video conferencing from Bengaluru and Tumakuru prisons, where they are lodged, as their judicial custody ended today.

The special public prosecutor argued that releasing the accused could hinder ongoing investigations, as more details needed to be collected. The prosecution highlighted alleged attempts by the accused to destroy technical, physical, and scientific evidence, demonstrating a disregard for the law.

The prosecutor further disclosed the seizure of Rs 83.65 lakh in cash from the accused, and noted their use of multiple SIM cards registered under different names to contact various individuals before, during, and after the crime. The prosecution stressed that granting bail could lead to the destruction of crucial evidence.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan’s fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered.

According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.

Police sources said Pavithra Gowda, who is accused number one, was the “major cause" for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.

Meanwhile, Darshan's petition in the High Court, seeking direction to the prison authorities to permit him to have access to private sourced/home food, cutlery, bedding, and books to be supplied by his family members, is slated to come up for hearing on Friday.

 

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Mangaluru: A woman and her three-year-old child were found dead under mysterious circumstances in a lake near their residence at Kodial village under Bellare police station limits, on Sunday.

The deceased have been identified as Madhusree (34), the wife of Arwara Harish of Kodial village in Sullia taluk, and their three-year-old child Dhanvi.

According to police, Harish lived with his parents, wife, and child at their Arwara residence.

On Sunday morning, when Madhusree and the child, who had gone to sleep on Saturday night, were found missing, family members began searching for them. Their bodies were later discovered in a lake located on private land close to their house.

It has been alleged that Madhusree may have tied the child to her waist with a cloth before jumping into the lake, allegedly committing suicide.

Madhusree was a native of Betageri in Puttur taluk and had married Harish four years ago. Bellare police visited the spot, conducted a preliminary investigation, and registered a case.