Case exposes the dark underbelly of fandom, celebrity culture in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The investigation into the murder of Renukaswamy from Chitradurga, involving popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his alleged girlfriend Pavithra Gowda and 11 others has picked up pace with the surrender of two more suspects.

Jaggu alias Jagadish and Anukumar surrendered to the Police a day after Ravi, the driver who transported Renukaswamy from Chitradurga to Bengaluru, approximately 200 km apart, surrendered.

Pavithra Gowda allegedly asked Darshan to ‘punish’ Renukaswamy for posting derogatory comments on her social media uploads. Raghavendra, the President of the Darshan Fans’ Association in Chitradurga, was tasked with locating Renukaswamy and later he was murdered at a vehicle impound shed in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar, owned by one of the accused Vinay’s uncle Pattanagrere Jayanna.

While Ravi surrendered at the Deputy Superintendent of Police’s office in Chitradurga on Thursday night, Jaggu and Anukumar, both fans of Darshan, surrendered before DySP P. Dinakar. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to 17.

Both Jaggu and Anukumar were working as autorickshaw drivers in Chitradurga. Speaking to reporters, Dinakar stated that both accused had been handed over to the Annapoorneshwari Nagar Police in Bengaluru for further investigation.

Accused’s father dies

Upon hearing the news of his son Anukumar’s arrest, Chandrappa (60) collapsed at his home in Sihineeru Honda. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where he developed low blood pressure and died of cardiac arrest at 7 pm.

Anukumar’s mother, Jayamma, was inconsolable. “My son worked as an autorickshaw driver for the last three years. He is the sole breadwinner of our family. His arrest has shattered our dreams,” she said.

Jayamma claimed her son was innocent and blamed Darshan for ruining the life of their family’s breadwinner. Sulochana, the mother of Jaggu, also insisted her son was innocent. She claimed Jaggu was being framed and despite being a fan of Darshan, never imagined his admiration would lead to jail. She mentioned that Jaggu is the only earning member of their family, leaving them in dire straits.

The investigation continues as more details emerge about this shocking incident, shedding light on the dark underbelly of fandom and celebrity culture in Karnataka.