Darshan.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The chargesheet filed by the Bengaluru police in the murder of Renukaswamy has mentioned that he was assaulted by Kannada A-lister Darshan Thoogudeepa and his longtime friend Pavithra Gowda and bloodstains were found on the clothing of the actor and his friend.
Details from the chargesheet, accessed by DH, revealed that Pavithra (33), (accused 1) and Darshan (47), (accused 2) were among those who beat Renukaswamy (34), from Chitradurga.
Renukaswamy’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was found on the bloodstained clothing of some of the accused, including Pavithra and Darshan, according to the chargesheet.
Witnesses examined by the police identified Pavithra and Darshan at the crime scene. CCTV feed also showed Pavithra entering a vehicle used during the offence, according to the chargesheet.
The chargesheet also noted that Renukaswamy was administered electric shocks on his arms, chest and other body parts.
Renukaswamy was beaten with sticks and wooden planks, tied with ropes and ultimately tortured to death, according to the chargesheet.
Photographs seen by DH showed a mutilated body of Renukaswamy with multiple injuries, including to the scrotum and bruises on the neck and the upper back.
The autopsy report revealed that the “death is due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries sustained”.
Three eyewitness accounts were among 231 pieces of evidence recorded in the chargesheet. The police have also named 15 others, including some close aides of the actor, in the chargesheet.
The key charges invoked were that of murder (IPC 302), criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B), kidnapping or abducting to murder (IPC 364) and disappearance of evidence (IPC 201). The 3,991-page chargesheet containing seven volumes, which was scrutinised by Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) P Prasanna Kumar, was submitted before the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Wednesday at around 10.50 am.
Renukaswamy’s mutilated body was found disposed of near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli on June 9.
On June 11, Darshan, Pavithra and seven others were arrested. the police nabbed the others in the subsequent days.
Initially, four of the 17 — Raghavendra (president of a Darshan fan club in Chitradurga), Karthik, Nikhil Nayak and Keshavamurthy — surrendered before the police on June 10 evening claiming responsibility for the murder over a financial dispute. Their questioning revealed the involvement of Darshan and others.
S Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), oversaw the investigation led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Vijayanagar sub-division) Chandan Kumar N and his team.
Key pieces of evidence
It took the police over 80 days to investigate the case and throughout the probe, they collected several pieces of technical evidence, circumstantial evidence, forensic reports and recorded witness statements.
Apart from the eyewitnesses, eight forensic reports were attached to the chargesheet. Investigators have recorded statements from 97 witnesses, including the 27 recorded before the magistrate under Section 164 (recording of confessions and statements) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Other witnesses include 59 panchas and eight government officials (tahsildars, doctors and RTO officials). As many as 56 police officials were also included in the evidence list.
Investigators have recovered Call Detail Records (CDRs) and CCTV feed. Photographs of Renukaswamy were also recovered from the phone of one of the accused, sources said.
The police also impounded vehicles used in the offence, including Renukaswamy’s abduction and disposal of the body. A device used to administer electric shocks to Renukaswamy was
also recovered.
The police have also recovered over Rs 70 lakh during the probe, which was allegedly used to cover up traces, according to the chargesheet. Several pieces of clothing from the accused, including Pavithra and Darshan, and hair samples were also recovered by the investigators.
Motive
The police concluded that Renukaswamy sending objectionable messages to Pavithra on Instagram was the motive behind the murder.
Pavithra informed Darshan about Renukaswamy, and her instigation led the actor to conspire with other accused to bring the deceased from Chitradurga to a shed in Pattanagere on June 8, where the murder occurred, according to the probe. The others named in the chargesheet are Pawan K (29), Raghavendra (43), Nandish (28), Jagadish (36), Anukumar (25), Ravi Shankar (32), Dhanraj D (27), Vinay V (38), Nagaraju (41), Laxman (54), Deepak (39), Pradosh (40), Karthik (27), Keshavamurthy (27) and Nikhil Nayak (21).