Popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was picked up for questioning today in connection with a murder, police said, two days after a case was registered.Â
Darshan was taken by the police from his farmhouse in Mysore this morning. He will be taken to Bengaluru for more questioning, officials said. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) confirmed that the 47-year-old actor had been taken into custody.
According to the police, the victim, Renuka Swamy, was murdered on June 8. His body was found in a drain in Kamakshipalya, located in Bengaluru, on June 9. Mr Swamy, who worked for a pharmacy company, had sent “obscene messages” on social media to an actress close to Darshan, the police said.Â
Mr Swamy was from Chitradurga, over 200 km from Karnataka’s capital.Â
Local residents reportedly alerted the police to the murder when they saw stray dogs dragging a body from the drain. Investigations led to the arrest of some suspects who allegedly directed the police to Darshan.
“He was my only son. Last year he got married. I spoke to him on Saturday only. I want justice,” Mr Swamy’s father Srinivasaiah said.Â
Police have provided tight security at Darshan’s RR Nagar residence in Bengaluru.
The police are inquiring into whether Darshan was directly involved in the murder or was part of the plot. Nine others have been arrested in the case.
The actor is known for his roles in films like Anatharu (2007), Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (2012) and Kaatera (2023).
