CHITRADURGA: Ninety-eight-year-old, bed-ridden Pramila Devi sits on the bed and waits for her grandson S Renukaswamy to come to her help for addressing her daily needs which includes bathing, eating and also making her laugh. But since Friday afternoon, she has not seen him.
Every time a person enters home, Pramila, who sleeps in the front room, looks at the door eagerly, thinking it could be her grandson. When it is not, her face falls. Though it has been three days since Renukaswamy’s death, the family has not told her yet. But by looking at the crowd, she senses something has happened.
Renukaswamy’s father, a retired accounts superintendent at KEB, Kashinatha Shivanagowdara, is 78 years old, while his mother Rathnaprabha is 68. Renukaswamy was the sole breadwinner of the family. All the six members of the family — grandmother, father, mother, sister, her daughter and his five-month pregnant wife — depended on his earnings as a store manager at Apollo Pharmacy at IUDP Layout.
The family was expecting a new member with the delivery date of his wife Sahana fixed three months hence. But now everything is dashed with Renukaswamy’s murder, in which actor Darshan and his accomplices are allegedly involved and are behind bars.
Sahana questioned, “If my kid after coming to this world asks where her/his father is, what will I do? They could have released my husband after warning him not to send messages. But they murdered my husband brutally. When I saw his body, I had never imagined he would return like this. The last he called was on June 8 afternoon.” She said her husband was a quiet and good man and was never involved in issues concerning others. Sahana, who is five months pregnant, said the family wants justice for her husband. “We married a year ago and I am expecting. I am shattered. How can I lead my life now,” she asked. “Whether he is an actor (Darshan) or a star, I want justice,” she said.
Renukaswamy’s father Kashinatha said, “My son went missing on Friday afternoon. But it was only on Monday evening that we got a call from the Kamakshipalya police, saying they wanted to give us information about our son. Only when we visited the Kamakshipalya police station on Tuesday morning did we come to know that he had been murdered.” He said, “We later identified the body by looking at his clothes and the face.
We collected the body after autopsy and brought it to Chitradurga where we held the last rites in the night.” He said, “With his death, my family is out on the streets. Who will take care of us in our last moments? Darshan and his accomplices should have behaved humanely and released him after warning him.” He said, “We are requesting the government to hold an impartial probe and ensure justice to my son.”
Taj Mohammed, a friend of Renukaswamy at Apollo Pharmacy, said, “Friday was Renukaswamy’s weekly off. But he came to the pharmacy and left early. He was an introvert and never spoke anything about his family or personal issues when he was at work. He was on good terms with all the workers.”
Family wants court-monitored probe
The family of deceased Renukaswamy, who was murdered by Kannada actor Darshan and his accomplices, has urged the state government to hold a court-monitored probe into the murder, so that the investigation will be held in a transparent manner.
Speaking to TNIE, uncle of Renukaswamy, 81-year-old Paramanadayya said that they have apprehensions about the transparency of the police investigation as there might be political interference in the present probe and justice will not be delivered.
“Demanding a CBI investigation may be too much, hence my sincere request to the government is to conduct a judiciary-monitored investigation. This will satisfy the family also,” he added. As the case has involvement of high profile people, the demand for a court-monitored investigation is justified, he said.