Bengaluru: The Special Court yesterday extended the judicial custody of Kannada actor Darshan, his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others in the Renukaswamy murder case till Aug. 1.

As the judicial custody of all the 17 accused ended yesterday, they were produced before the Magistrate through video conferencing from Bengaluru and Tumakuru prisons, where they are lodged.

The Special Public Prosecutor argued that releasing the accused could hinder ongoing investigations, as more details needed to be collected. The prosecution highlighted alleged attempts by the accused to destroy technical, physical and scientific evidence, demonstrating a disregard for the law.

The Special Prosecutor further disclosed the seizure of Rs. 83.65 lakh cash from the accused and noted their use of multiple SIM cards registered under different names to contact various individuals before, during and after the crime. The prosecution stressed that granting bail could lead to the destruction of crucial evidence.

Meanwhile, Darshan’s petition in the High Court, seeking direction to the prison authorities to permit him to have access to private sourced/home food, cutlery, bedding and books to be supplied by his family members, is slated to come up for hearing today.

It may be recalled that Renukaswamy of Chitradurga, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a storm-water drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.