Seven Karnataka jail officials suspended for giving special treatment to jailed actor Darshan – ThePrint – PTIFeed

Bengaluru, Aug 26 (PTI) – Seven prison officials have been suspended for allegedly giving special treatment to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is currently in judicial custody in the Renukaswamy murder case.

A superintendent of the central prison in Parappana Agrahara here was also transferred after a photo of the actor smoking and holding a coffee cup surfaced on social media on Sunday, sparking a dispute.

Jail wardens Sharan Basappa Amingad and Prabhu S Khandelwal, assistant jail wardens LS Kuppeswamy and Srikanth Talwar, head wardens Venkappa and Sampath Kumar and jail warden K Basappa were suspended, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters on Monday.

The new prison director will be asked to take strict action in such cases of “neglect of duty,” he said.

Parameshwara said soon after the matter came to his knowledge, he directed the Director General of Police to initiate an inquiry, following which a team of senior police officials visited the jail. Their investigation confirmed the involvement of the suspended officials in facilitating special treatment for Darshan, he added.

Parameshwara said it was worrying that such incidents were taking place despite the presence of CCTV cameras and jammers in the state's prisons.

A total of 17 people, including Darshan and his friend Pavithra Gowda, are currently in custody in connection with the murder case.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which infuriated Darshan and allegedly led to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain adjacent to a flat in Sumanahalli on June 9.

Raghavendra, one of the accused, who is a member of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had taken Renukaswamy to a shed in RR Nagar on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered.

According to the autopsy report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died of shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blunt injuries.

According to police sources, Gowda, who is the main accused, was the “main cause” of Renukaswamy's murder. Investigations have proved that she instigated, conspired with other accused and participated in the crime. PTI GMS RS SS

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