Police recover clothes, shoes Darshan was wearing on night of Renukaswamy’s murder

The Bengaluru police, probing the murder of Renukaswamy, who was allegedly tortured and killed by a gang including Kannada actor Darshan, said they have recovered potentially critical evidence against the actor on Sunday. The police is said to have recovered the clothes and shoes that the actor was wearing when the crime was committed. 

The Bengaluru police, probing the murder of Renukaswamy, who was allegedly tortured and killed by a gang including Kannada actor Darshan, said they have recovered potentially critical evidence against the actor on Sunday. The police is said to have recovered the clothes and shoes that the actor was wearing when the crime was committed. 

The police conducted mahazar at the residences of Darshan and his close friend Pavithra Gowda — both in R.R. Nagar. Renukaswamy, a Darshan fan, had allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra leading to his death. The police seized the clothes and shoes both were allegedly wearing during the crime from their respective houses, sources said. 

Renukaswamy was allegedly beaten up badly and tortured. From the statements of other accused in the case, the police claim that Darshan himself tortured him. The police hope that the clothes and the shoes may have some traces of the victim’s blood or tissue, which, if found, will be crucial evidence that Darshan himself assaulted the victim, said sources. Darshan has been claiming that while he did meet the victim at the shed, he warned him not to send obscene messages henceforth and left the scene and he was not aware of the murder. 

Investigations have revealed that Pavithra allegedly assaulted the victim Renukaswamy with her slippers, making it one of the key pieces of evidence in the case. The police have now sent the clothes and shoes of both Darshan and Pavithra for forensic examination to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Madiwala.  

The police are expected to take Darshan to Mysuru on Monday to conduct a spot mahazar of the place where he allegedly held multiple meetings with those involved in the crime and hatched the plan to cover it up, by sending four of his associates to surrender before the police. 

Meanwhile, the police are also searching for an electric water heater that was allegedly used to brand the victim Renukaswamy and administer electric shocks to him. This was allegedly thrown away by the accused en route to Mysuru. A search is also on for a gold chain Renkaswamy was wearing, which one of the accused allegedly took before throwing his body into a stormwater drain in Kamakshipalya.

The driver Ravi, who drove Renukaswamy from Chitradurga to Bengaluru, surrendered with two of his associates Jagadeesh and Anu Kumar. Ravi reportedly told the police that Jagadeesh took away the gold chain on the neck of the victim before disposing off the body.