BENGALURU: Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and nine other inmates in the Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara who were expected to be moved to different jails across the state were not shifted on Wednesday. It is expected to be done in the early hours of Thursday, sources said. Meanwhile, Darshan was subjected to marathon interrogation since Wednesday morning in connection with two cases registered against him inside the prison.
In both cases, Darshan is accused number 1. One of the cases is related to luxury treatment for Darshan inside jail, and another is in connection with his video call on a mobile phone call in the jail. An FIR has been registered against three prison officials, who were suspended on Tuesday, for facilitating Darshan.
Darshan, rowdy-sheeters Wilson Garden Naga, Kulla Seena, Darshan’s manager Nagaraju, Dharma, Sathya and the three suspended prison officials were questioned by the investigating officers. The actor was questioned by police inspectors attached to Begur and Hulimavu police stations. The Electronic City subdivision Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and his team questioned the remaining accused.
The officers also conducted mahazars of the spots where Darshan was sitting on the lawn and his room where the video call was made. The officers had to question and record the actor’s statements before he was shifted to Ballari jail. Darshan reportedly told the officers that he does not know the person who was on video call, and spoke to him out of courtesy after Dharma gave him the phone.
The photos of Darshan are said to have been taken while he was watching a cricket match with Wilson Garden Naga and two others. Darshan shouted at a suspended prison staff for putting him in more trouble by allowing mobile phones on the jail premises. The mobile phone that was used to make a video call is yet to be recovered.
The phone was with Dharma, the second accused in the complaint registered for making the video call. Dharma is said to have called Sathya, son of another notorious rowdy sheeter Dhanraj of Byadarahalli. Dharma, while celebrating his birthday, had handed the phone to Darshan to talk to Sathya.
The mobile phone used to take photos of Darshan was reportedly recovered from another notorious rowdy sheeter Velu. Darshan was watching a cricket match played by the associates of rowdy Wilson Garden Naga when Velu allegedly took the photos from his cell. Velu’s brother, rowdy- sheeter Kannan, is also in jail.
Naga, Velu, Kannan and 15 others had murdered another rowdy-sheeter Mahesh within minutes of him coming out of the Bengaluru prison. After the photos went viral, Naga berated Velu for taking the photos. Velu had sent the photos to his wife and they went viral later.
Darshan has told the officers that he was returning to his barrack after meeting Rachita Ram when Naga called him and offered tea and cigarettes. Meanwhile the judicial custody of all 17 accused arrested in connection with the kidnap and murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy of Chitradurga has been extended till September 9. This is the fifth time the judicial custody of all the accused was extended.
The accused were produced before the Judge of a city based court through video conference. Of the accused, Pradush, Nagaraj and Lakshman requested the court not to shift them to different jails due to personal reasons. However their request was turned down.
The City Civil and Sessions Court on Wednesday reserved the bail application of the accused number one in the Renukaswamy murder case, Pavithra Gowda for August 31. The judge reserved the order after hearing arguments from both sides. Special Public Prosecutor Prasanna Kumar argued that Gowda should not be granted bail as the case is still under investigation.
He stated that the available evidence shows that Darshan and Pavithra Gowda entered the shed in a black Scorpio car, and that the accused committed the crime. Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Tommy Sebastian argued that Pavithra Gowda had no role in the case and should be granted bail..
