Fan murder case: Charge sheet against Darshan to be filed soon

Bengaluru, Sep 3 (IANS) The charge sheet against jailed superstar Darshan in the fan murder case is likely to be filed within this week, said sources here, adding that the police were in the final stages of preparation.

Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 others are the accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. Sources have claimed that Darshan reportedly admitted his involvement in the murder case as per the remand copy submitted to the 24th ACMM court.

Lodged in Ballary Jail, Darshan is facing the biggest challenge of his life, as he has been named accused number two in the murder case. The Kannada superstar's life story has been nothing short of a film plot. From starting his career as a light boy to achieving superstardom, and being embroiled in controversies and crimes, Darshan has always been in the news in Karnataka. But this has not affected his fan following.

The gruesome details of the murder of Renukaswamy, a fan who was kidnapped, kept in a shed, and brutally murdered, allegedly by Darshan and his gang, came as a shock to the people. Despite this, the craze among the masses for Darshan has continued unabated.

Recently, when Darshan was being shifted to Ballary prison, despite precautionary measures, fans queued up and gathered along the arterial roads and in front of the prison to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. The police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Die-hard fans have sworn to take revenge on media persons and YouTubers for criticizing Darshan. They maintain that once Darshan is released, they will take action.

This has surprised civil society and sections of the public. The fans, mainly youth, indulging in threatening behaviour without fear of the law, is a concerning development, according to police sources. Since there is no formal complaint in this regard, they are unable to take action.

This is Darshan's second stint in prison. Back in 2011, he was arrested and jailed for brutally assaulting his wife, Vijayalaxmi. Sources said that after repeated assaults and humiliation, she had approached the police. Following his arrest, fans went berserk, and the police had to struggle to maintain law and order in Bengaluru. Darshan was kept in Bengaluru Central Prison for 14 days. He was released on bail after he apologised to his wife and made peace with her. Following his release, the craze for Darshan doubled, and his movie 'Saarathi' went on to become a mega-hit. With this success, Darshan acquired superstardom.

However, he continued to be mired in controversies through his misogynistic statements and his use of derogatory language towards producers. Amidst all these controversies, his last release, 'Katera', which came out on December 29, 2023, became a huge hit. He began his career with the movie 'Majestic' in 2002. He established himself as a marketable hero by accepting all the movies that came his way, especially those that established stars had turned down. Soon, he rose to stardom and then to superstardom. Films like 'Kariya', 'Kalasipalya', 'Namma Preetiya Ramu', 'Gaja', 'Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna', 'Ambareesha', 'Yajamana', 'Odeya', and 'Kurukshetra' cemented his status as a star.

Even after Darshan's arrest in the Renukaswamy murder case, his fans have remained unaffected. One of his fans, Nagesh, was jailed on charges of threatening the general public, and parents were booked for conducting a photoshoot of their newborn baby in a jail dress with Darshan's prisoner number.

The police have charged Darshan and others under various IPC Sections: 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence, giving false statements), 120B (criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death), 364 (kidnapping), 355 (assault, using criminal force intending to dishonour a person), 384 (extortion), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), and 148 read with 149 (rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon).

Darshan's troubles have mounted after the emergence of photos and videos showing him receiving preferential treatment in prison. As a fallout, he was transferred from the Bengaluru Central Prison to Ballary jail

The investigation revealed that Renukaswamy was a big fan of Darshan and had allegedly sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media. The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and brutally tortured to death.

The Congress government has assured the victim’s family that they would get them justice. The cops are meticulously preparing to file a charge sheet giving no room for Darshan to escape, according to sources.