BENGALURU: The judicial custody of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa (47), and his close acquaintance P Pavithra Gowda and 15 others arrested for the murder of 33-year-old S Renukaswamy has been extended by another 14 days, till August 1. The accused were produced before the magistrate of 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court through video conferencing from the Bengaluru and Tumakuru prisons.
Out of the 17 accused, 13 are lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, while the remaining four are at the Tumakuru Prison. The accused were produced before the judge as their judicial custody ended on Thursday. All the 17 have been arrested on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga. The victim, who was a big fan of Darshan, had allegedly sent derogatory messages and pictures to accused number 1. Pavithra Gowda, leading to his killing. Darshan has been in the Bengaluru prison since June 22.
It may be recalled that Renukaswamy’s body was found near a stormwater drain, next to an apartment complex in Sumanahalli here on June 9.