Bengaluru: In the chilling murder case where Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa killed a person with his aides, fresh harrowing details have arrived. It is learned that Darshan's girlfriend and actor Pavithra Gowda was also present at the scene where the man was tortured, NDTV reported, citing sources.
Darshan and aides murdered the victim, 33-year-old Renuka Swamy, for posting obscene messages under social media posts by Pavithra.
It was on June 8 that Swamy was brought from his hometown, Chitradurga, by some of the other accused in the case and taken to a shed in Bengaluru, 200 km away. One of the accused had said that Swamy wasn't kidnapped but persuaded to his taxi car, but he wasn't aware of the torture set for him.
Sources told NDTV that Darshan and Pavithra joined other accused at the shed while Swamy was beaten up with sticks and was given multiple electric shocks.
PTI reported that Pavithra instigated Darshan to punish Swamy for his obscene content on social media.
Swamy's autopsy report suggested that he died of shock and haemorrhage out of multiple blunt injuries. There were reports that his testicles were ruptured and one of his ears was missing.
Police arrested 17 people, including the two actors, sources told NDTV, adding that Darshan might have paid his aides around Rs 50 lakh for their role in the heinous crime.
Though some of the accused took the fall for the crime, they confessed later, revealing the two actors' names after deep grilling by probe officials.