'Victim's Family Can Expect Justice': Karnataka Home Minister on Renukaswamy Murder Case

Bengaluru: With probe into the Renukaswamy murder case, in which Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is an accused, almost complete and the police all set to file the chargesheet in court, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the deceased victim's family can expect "justice".

He said the police and the government will fight to get justice for the victim's family in the court.

"Procedurally what the police have to do, they will do it. It is mandatory to file a chargesheet within 90 days, they will do it and submit it to the court," Parameshwara told reporters here.

When asked whether Darshan will be made accused number 1 (A1) in the case, he said, "whether A1 or A2, it is left to the police. They will do it based on the evidence." Asked as to what the Renukaswamy family can expect from the government and the police, the Minister said: "they can expect justice, we will get them justice. We will fight in the court for justice." As of now, Darshan is A2 in this case, while his friend Pavithra Gowda is A1.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said the probe into the Renukaswamy murder case is completed; the final stage -- Special Public Prosecutor's scrutiny -- has also been completed.

"He (SPP) has made certain observations and we are complying with it. Soon after that, within a couple of days we will submit the final report to the court," he told reporters.

The Commissioner said the police have got enough necessary evidence in connection with the case and the details of it will be submitted to the court.

"We have got all the reports from the Bengaluru FSL (Forensic Science Lab) and supplementary answers to the questions have also come. From the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad, some reports have come, a few more are yet to come, we are going ahead keeping a probe on them pending," he added.

Darshan along with his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others, who are accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, are currently under judicial custody in different prisons across the state.

Last week, Darshan was shifted to a jail in Ballari, after a photograph of him hanging out with three others, including a rowdy-sheeter, on the lawns of the Bengaluru jail had gone viral on Sunday, sparking an uproar.

This was done after obtaining a court permission. Most of the other co-accused in the murder case were also relocated to various prisons across the state.

In the picture, the actor is seen in a relaxed mood, sitting on a chair and holding a cigarette and a coffee mug. Also, a purported video of Darshan speaking to a person over a video call from the prison too had surfaced on social media.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June nine.

Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, 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 post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.

Police sources said Pavithra, who is accused number one, was the "major cause" for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.

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