The father of one of the accused in the Renukaswamy murder case in which leading Kannada actor Darshan and his actress friend Pavithra Gowda are the key accused, died of heart attack, family sources said.

Anukumar, who is the accused number seven in the police FIR, lost his father Chandrappa, on Friday Family sources said Chandrappa was under depression ever since his son was arrested.

As Anukumar's mother was adamant that her son should be present during the funeral, police brought him from Bengaluru to Chitradurga under tight security after seeking permission from a court on late Saturday night, sources said.

"Chandrappa had died of a heart attack on Friday evening. Anukumar's mother and family insisted on not picking up the body until Anukumar came," the sources added.

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Bengaluru police brought Anukumar to Chitradurga after obtaining permission from the court on late Saturday night.

An Additional Metropolitan Magistrate court on Saturday extended the police custody to Darshan and his 12 aides for five more days, which was to end on Sunday.

The extension of police custody was sought to complete the police investigation.

Police have already recovered Rs 30 lakh as the proceeds of the crime, which Darshan had given to his aides to admit that they committed the murder for monetary gain.

Meanwhile, more horrifying details have emerged from the investigation into Renukaswamy murder case. Investigation has revealed that Darshan and his gang had branded Renukaswamy with a hot metal and also gave him an electric shock.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and gang were arrested on June 11 for murdering Renukaswamy from Chitradurga on June 8 for sending obscene personal messages to Pavithra Gowda.

He was abducted from Chitradurga and brought to Bengaluru where he was tortured leading to his death.

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Mangaluru: Drug addiction is a sign of mental illness and there is a critical need for awareness among students, stated Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan at the ‘Drugs Free India’ awareness program. Organized by the Counseling Department of St. Aloysius PU College in collaboration with the District Administration, Mangaluru Police Commissionerate, Indian Coast Guard, and the Customs Commissionerate, the event took place on Tuesday.

Delivering the keynote address, DC Mullai Muhilan emphasized the importance of counseling centers in every school to educate students about the dangers of drug addiction. He highlighted the correlation between the increasing number of educational institutions in Dakshina Kannada District and the rising supply and demand for narcotic drugs. He stressed the need for continuous efforts to dismantle the supply chain of narcotics and initiatives to curb the demand through systematic education.

“Anti-drug units have been established in 528 colleges across the district. These units operate with utmost confidentiality, allowing students to report information about drug supply and abuse, thereby preventing their peers from falling into the trap of addiction,” Muhilan said.

Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal reported that over 500 cases related to drug supply and abuse had been registered in the past six months, with 400 cases pertaining specifically to drug abuse. He noted that many complaints came from mothers about the deteriorating behavior and habits of their children. Agrawal stressed the importance of self-awareness among students to avoid drug addiction and urged them to stay away from narcotics.

Mangaluru Customs Commissioner P Vinitha Shekhar described narcotics as a ‘social menace’ and explained the customs department’s role in search and destroy operations in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She highlighted India's vulnerability to drug trafficking due to its proximity to opium-producing countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. She also pointed out the link between drug supply networks and the funding of terrorist organizations.

District Coast Guard Centre DIG P K Mishra, through an illustrative story, encouraged students to contribute to society by reporting unusual behavior in their friends and peers that might indicate drug abuse.

Fr. Clifford Sequeira, Principal of St. Aloysius PU College, and Dr. B K Kiran Kumar from the Department of Psychology at the Institute of Medical Sciences were also present at the event.

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