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New Delhi, August 29
Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is accused of Renukaswamy murder, was transferred from Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Prison to Ballari Prison after allegations of receiving VIP treatment in the jail.
Darshan is in judicial custody in connection with the murder case of a 33-year-old auto driver named Renukaswamy.
A photograph of him hanging out with three others in the lawns of the Parappana Agrahara Prison went viral earlier this week. In the photograph, the actor was seen in a relaxed mood, sitting on a chair and holding a cigarette and a coffee mug.
Additionally, a purported video of Darshan speaking to someone over a video call from prison also surfaced on social media. Karnataka Police have formed three teams to probe the 'VIP treatment allegations'.
As soon as both the videos went viral on social media, the Bengaluru police spring to action and formed a probe committee and also shunted out police officials.
The police filed three cases in this matter. As per the details that emerged, the first case will look into how the actor got access to beverages and was able to smoke cigarettes while on the prison lawn. Coffee mugs, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are all prohibited in jail. The investigation will focus on who arranged the chairs for the actor, the gangster and others seen in the viral photo. It will also focus on Darshan's interactions with the gangster.
The second case focusses on taking photos and video call as the device is banned inside the prison. The investigation will look into how the accused got hold of a mobile phone, including who provided the device and how internet access was arranged.
The third case is regarding negligence by jail officials, and it is being handled by ACP Manjunath.
Following the controversy, the Bengaluru court granted permission to shift Darshan and his co-accused to different prisons.
While Darshan was moved to Ballari Prison, the other accused--Pawan, Raghavendra, and Nandish--will be shifted to Mysuru Jail, Jagadish and Lakshmana to Shivamogga Jail, Dhanraj to Dharwad Jail, Vinay to Vijayapura Jail, Nagaraj to Kalaburagi/Gulbarga Jail, and Pradosh to Belagavi Jail, according to officials. Four other accused--Ravi, Karthik, Nikhil, and Keshavamurthy--were earlier transferred to Tumakuru Prison.
Three of the 17 accused--Pavithra Gowda, Anukumar, and Deepak--will continue to remain at Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.
Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old auto driver, was kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered on June 9 allegedly at the direction of actor Darshan after he allegedly sent offensive messages on social media to actress Pavithra Gowda, who is rumoured to be Darshan's partner. The investigation also found that the actor was directly involved in the assault.
