Renukaswamy murder | Darshan fan beaten with wooden clubs, given electric shock

Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa’s fan Renukaswamy was beaten with wooden clubs and given electric shocks after being tied up, leading to his death, reports say quoting a remand copy released by police.

‘Died due to shock, blood loss’

The post-mortem report into the death has also revealed that the 33-year-old was kicked and suffered a ruptured testicle and died “due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries sustained.”

The report said the victim was initially forcefully hit against a parked truck.

One the accused divulged details of the torture after his arrest.

So far, police have arrested 17 people including actor Darshan and his colleague Pavithra Gowda in the case.

The body of Renukaswamy was found in a drain in Bengaluru days after he allegedly sent obscene messages to Gowda.

Actor spent ₹50 lakh to bump off fan: Cops

According to police, Darshan is suspected to have paid around ₹50 lakh to four men to plan and execute the murder of Renukaswamy. This involved bringing Renukaswamy from Chitradurga to Bengaluru.

Reports quoting police say the actor paid ₹30 lakh to a man named Pradosh alias Pawan to kidnap, murder and dispose of Renukaswamy’s body. Two other accomplices, Nikhil and Keshavamurthy, were given ₹5 lakh each for assisting in the murder and getting rid of the body.

As per the remand copy, some of the accused also claimed that Darshan had paid them to surrender before police and take the blame for the murder.

Conflicting versions

Two versions of how Renukaswamy ended up in the shed in Bengaluru’s RR Nagar, where he was tortured and killed, are doing the rounds based on statements of the accused in police custody.

One version says that Renukaswamy was kidnapped from Chitradurga on June 8, but was whisked away by Raghavendra, a fan of Darshan midway. Raghavendra had then asked another accused named Ravi or Ravishankar to drop Renukaswamy at the shed.

Ravi, who is among the arrested, however, claims that Raghavendra lured Renukaswamy to the Bengaluru shed under the pretext of helping him meet the actor to settle the row over the social media posts.

Ravi who went underground following the murder, surrendered before police on June 10 on the advice of his union.

Three others who surrendered the same day confessed to the murder while naming Darshan and Gowda as the key conspirators.

Evidence in hand

Police have seized a leather belt allegedly used by Darshan to beat Renukaswamy during the torture.

Bloodstain samples and strands of Renukaswamy’s hair from the shed where he is said to have been tortured and murdered have also been collected.

Police have also collected CCTV footage from the locality around the shed, the residence of Pradosh and from toll booths through which Renukaswamy’s car passed while on its way from Chitradurga to Bengaluru.

Renukaswamy’s clothes and those worn by Darshan and Gowda on the day of the alleged murder have also been confiscated.

When police reached Darshan’s house the clothes were washed and hung out to dry on the terrace.