Darshan Thoogudeepa, a superstar in the Kannada-language film industry in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, has been under arrest for the past 10 days in connection with a crime that mirrors the plot of a movie.
He is among 17 individuals detained by the police for the murder of Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old fan of the actor, whose body was found in a drain.
Earlier this week, Bengaluru city Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that Renukaswamy was “killed in a very brutal and barbaric way” and described the incident as a “heinous crime committed in a horrific manner.”
Police believe the 47-year-old actor was enraged with Renukaswamy, who worked for a pharmacy company, because he allegedly sent lewd messages on social media to Pavithra Gowda, an actress described in the Indian press as Darshan’s girlfriend.
The charges against the suspects include “murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy.”
Darshan is in jail and has not commented on the allegations, but his lawyer Ranganath Reddy told the media that during their meetings, the actor denied the charges against him.
“These are mere allegations at the moment,” he said. “The police have no direct evidence against Darshan. It’s a case of circumstantial evidence.”
Mr. Reddy also called claims that Pavithra was married to Darshan “a blatant lie.”
Darshan was arrested in Mysuru city on June 11. Regarded as the most bankable star of the Kannada film industry, Darshan has starred in about 60 films, many of which have been huge hits.
“He’s the biggest star in the Kannada film industry, with a huge fan following. His face is plastered behind auto-rickshaws and new releases of his films see fans pouring milk on his hoardings,” says film critic Shiva Kumar.
Kannada film producer Yogish Dwarakish says Darshan is “one actor who can guarantee you an extraordinary opening.”
“His films release in 600-700 screens in 400 theatres. His fans worship him. He’s a star who delivers every single time. His latest, Kaatera, grossed more than 1 billion rupees ($12 million) and was a mammoth hit.”
It’s not surprising that since June 11, when the police turned up at the hotel in Mysuru city where Darshan was staying while shooting for Devil, his latest film, his dramatic arrest and the aftermath continue to make headlines in the state.
Comments are closed.