Murdered Renuka Swamy was Darshan's devoted fan: TV reports

Kannada movie star Darshan Thoogudeepa has been detained by the Bengaluru police as part of an ongoing investigation into a murder case. He was taken into custody on Tuesday in Mysuru and brought back to the Kamakshipalya police station, under whose jurisdiction the body of Renuka Swamy was discovered last week.

According to TV reports, Renuka Swamy was believed to be a huge fan of Darshan. A native of Chitradurga, he was seemingly upset with persisting problems between Darshan and his wife Vijayalakshmi. He then started harassing Pavithra Gowda, Darshan's alleged girlfriend, online, hoping she would stop seeing the actor. However, that seems to have turned out to be fatal for the young fan.

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As per TV reports, the police have arrested 10 suspects in the case, including Darshan. The president of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga is also said to be one of the suspects.

According to reports, Renuka Swamy was murdered at the behest of Darshan. The victim was allegedly taken to a farmhouse owned by Darshan's friend, where he was tortured and killed. It is believed that Renuka Swamy was killed on June 8, and later his body was dumped in a drain in Kamakshipalya. On June 9, the Bengaluru police initiated the investigation.

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Soon after the investigation began, reportedly three people confessed to murdering Renuka Swamy over a financial issue. When the suspects were questioned further, the police discovered alleged links of Darshan to the murder. Some reports claim that Darshan was present when Renuka Swamy was subjected to the deadly assault. The concerned police officials have not yet made an official statement on the case.

Pavithra Gowda has also been summoned to the police station for questioning in connection with the case.

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