Nearly three months after Renukaswamy, a salesman at a pharmacy chain in Chitradurga in Karnataka, was found dead in Bengaluru, police on Wednesday filed the chargesheet in the sensational case that has garnered continuous media coverage. Actor Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 others have been arrested for the murder.
The seven-volume chargesheet of 3,991 pages includes eight reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory in Madiwala and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad, besides accounts of witnesses. Out of 97 independent witnesses, 27 recorded their statements in front of a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The accused have been booked for murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, among other charges.
Police sources said apart from witnesses, there is abundant material evidence to prove the presence of the accused with Renukaswamy on the fateful day. Renukaswamy’s DNA was found on the clothes of some accused, including Pavithra Gowda, and was confirmed by CFSL, Hyderabad.
Analysis of Call Detail Records and tower locations of the mobile phones of the accused not only fixes their presence at the scene of crime but also establishes criminal conspiracy, the chargesheet alleges.
Police have recovered photographs of the body of Renukaswamy from the phone of one of the accused. The photos were clicked at the parking shed, the scene of the crime, after his death and sent to other prime accused in the case, the chargesheet alleges, sources said.
The private garage where Renukaswamy, a fan of actor Darshan, was allegedly tortured and murdered, at Pattanagere, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K
Police have recovered large sums of money Darshan used to cover up the case, the dress, and shoes the actor was wearing during the crime.
Renukaswamy’s body was found near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli on June 9. Even as Kamakshipalya police were groping in the dark to establish the identity of the suspect, four youths surrendered on June 10 evening, claiming to have killed the man over a financial dispute.
However, as their versions did not add up, police launched a probe into the veracity of the sequence of events, which led them to actors Darshan and Pavithra Gowda, when the phone calls of those who surrendered were analysed.
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The chargesheet alleges that Renukaswamy was using a false Instagram ID @goutham_ks_1990 to send lewd messages and photographs to Pavithra Gowda, and alleges this was the motive for Renukaswamy to be abducted, tortured, and killed in a premeditated manner.
The chargesheet says Pavithra Gowda told her assistant Pavan about the lewd messages. Pavan told Darshan, who asked Raghavendra, president of his fans’ association in Chitradurga, to bring Renukaswamy to Bengaluru.
Renukaswamy was allegedly abducted and brought to the parking shed in Pattanagere on June 8. Darshan and Pavithra Gowda, along with several of their associates, turned up at the shed and tortured him to death, the chargesheet alleges.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S. Girish supervised the investigation, which was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Chandan Kumar N. and his team.
Published - September 04, 2024 01:00 pm IST
