Renukaswamy murder case: Darshan appears in court, hearing adjourned till Feb 25

Bengaluru, Jan 10 The court on Friday adjourned the hearing in the Renukaswamy murder case till February 25 after recording the presence of accused Kannada superstar Darshan and his partner and actress Pavithra Gowda.

While granting them bail, the court asked them to appear before it every month.

Recording the attendance of the accused, the court asked Darshan, Pavithra Gowda to appear before the court on February 25.

Along with Darshan and Pavithra, all other accused in the case were also present.

Pavithra came much earlier before the hearing of the case with the accused Pradoosh and Darshan reached the court later with his lawyer.

Darshan, Pavithra, and 15 others were arrested on June 11, 2024 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering Renukaswamy, a fan from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, angry over the fact that Darshan maintained a relationship with her despite being married.

Darshan was shifted to Ballari Prison after photos of his alleged "royal treatment" at Bengaluru Central Prison surfaced. He currently faces three FIRs related to the case. The police submitted a 3,991-page chargesheet on September 4, along with an additional chargesheet to the court.

Darshan was released from prison on October 30, 2024 after spending 131 days in custody.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's decision to grant bail to Darshan in the fan murder case.

Pavithra is known as Darshan's longtime companion. Sources close to Darshan revealed that Pavithra Gowda competed with Darshan's wife, Vijayalaxmi, over jewellery and luxury cars. She allegedly pressured Darshan to make public appearances with her after he had been seen with his wife.

Pavithra and Vijayalaxmi also had public spats via social media posts, which led Darshan's fans to take sides. Renukaswamy, who supported Vijayalaxmi, criticised Pavithra, which ultimately led to his brutal death, according to police findings.