Leading Kannada film actor Darshan arrested in murder case, remanded to 6 days police custody
Bengaluru, Jun 11: Leading Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his close friend and actress Pavithra Gowda were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of a man who allegedly made "derogatory" comments against her, police sources said.
The police questioned the "Challenging Star" and 12 others after taking them into custody in connection with the alleged murder of the man, identified as Renukaswamy, whose body was found here on June nine. Later, they all were arrested.
They were produced before a Bengaluru Magistrate court, which remanded them to six days police custody.
It is alleged that Renukaswamy, who worked with a pharma company and hailed from the district headquarters town of Chitradurga, had made "derogatory" comments against Gowda in social media posts, the sources said.
The 47-year-old Darshan, who featured in several commercially successful films including 'Kariya', 'Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna', 'Kalasipalya', 'Gaja', 'Navagraha', 'Saarathi', 'Bulbul', 'Yajamana', 'Robert' and 'Kaatera', was picked up from a Mysuru hotel as he stepped out after working out in the gym there, in connection with the murder here, police said.
After the alleged killing at a shed at Pattanagere under Kamakshipalya police station limits, allegedly belonging to one of the aides of Darshan, Renukaswamy's body was dumped into a nearby stormwater drain, police sources said.
"Based on the recovery of the dead body of an unidentified man and the injuries on his body, a murder case was registered. On the basis of CCTV footage and other technical evidence, the deceased was identified as Renukaswamy," Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said.
Police came to know about the incident after some local residents alerted them about the body, which was later sent for an autopsy and the forensic report confirmed that he was murdered, police sources said.
Further investigation led to the arrest of 11 suspects, police sources said, adding, based on their statement, Darshan and Pavithra were taken into custody.
"We are probing to find out if the actor was directly involved in the murder or was part of the conspiracy," a police official said.
Renukaswamy's parents were inconsolable after learning about the murder.
"He was my only son. Last year he got married. I spoke to him on Saturday only. I want justice," his father Srinivasaiah told reporters at Kamakshipalya police station.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said Darshan is being subjected to an inquiry by police.
"A person from Chitradurga was murdered in Bengaluru. In connection with that murder some people have been arrested, and during their inquiry Darshan's name has come, so he has been brought for inquiry," Parameshwara told reporters here.
"Until the investigation is over, nothing can be said. Whether he (Darshan) is involved or not. What is the reason for the murder. Why has his name come? All those things will be known only after the investigation. So at this point in time, nothing else can be said," he added.
Police have provided tight security at the house of Darshan, who made his debut as a lead actor in the movie 'Majestic' in 2002, and has a huge fan following, at RR Nagar here.
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At least 11 killed, dozens injured in Israeli strikes in Beirut as diplomats push for cease-fire
Beirut (Lebanon), Nov 23: Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, officials said, as diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said the death toll could rise as emergency responders dug through the rubble looking for survivors. DNA tests are being used to identify the victims, it said, adding that 63 people were wounded. The strikes were the fourth in the Lebanese capital in less than a week.
The escalation comes after US envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to the region this week in an attempt to broker a cease-fire deal to end the more than 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which has erupted into full-on war in the past two months.
Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and wounded more than 15,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million, or a quarter of Lebanon's population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by rockets, drones and missiles in northern Israel and in fighting in Lebanon.
Israel's war with Hamas also shows no signs of abating. Gaza's health ministry said at least 80 people were killed between Thursday and Friday in multiple strikes in the enclave's north, including the Kamal Adwan and Al-Ahli hospitals. Dozens of people are still trapped under the rubble, it said.
