Karnataka Film Chamber to await Police charge-sheet to decide on actor Darshan’s status in Kannada film industry

Bengaluru: Investigations into the murder of Chitradurga pharmacy worker Renuka Swamy, for which actor Darshan and 12 others have been arrested, have revealed that four additional suspects are on the run.

The Police are verifying the background of Deepak, who allegedly offered Rs. 20 lakh to four individuals to confess to the murder. With these additional suspects, the total number of accused in the case has risen to 17, of whom 13 have been arrested.

The four accused have been identified as Jagadish alias Jagga, Anu (who allegedly facilitated luring Renuka Swamy to Bengaluru from Chitradurga), Ravi, and Raju. The Police are actively searching for these individuals.

During interrogation, some of the accused confessed that four among them, who had surrendered to the Police, were offered Rs. 20 lakh to ensure that the actor’s name did not come up in the case.

Rs. 10 lakh was paid to Nikhil Naik and Keshavamurthy after the body was dumped by the side of the stormwater drain near Sumanahalli bridge.

According to the deal, the remaining Rs. 10 lakh was to be paid to the family members of Karthik alias Kappe and Raghavendra after they went to jail.

The suspects worked for a firm engaged in seizing vehicles from loan defaulters. The firm had leased the land where Renuka Swamy was murdered in a shed, Police said.

‘We will take necessary action’

N.M. Suresh, President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), indicated that any decision regarding Darshan Thoogudeepa’s status within the industry will be made after consulting with the artistes’ union. He hinted that concrete actions will likely follow only after the Police complete their investigation and submit a charge-sheet.

“We are saying that the guilty should be punished mercilessly as per law. We too have got certain complaints, but there is a ‘Kalavidara Sangha’ (artistes’ union) for it. We have spoken to the ‘Kalavidara Sangha’ and we are trying to discuss it with artistes. We cannot decide unilaterally. I will call a meeting to discuss this. Until the Police investigation is over and they file a charge-sheet the accused (culprits) will not be known, once that’s done, we will take necessary action,” he said.