Bengaluru, 13 June

Three people, including the close aide of Kannada star Darshan Thoogudeepa, were arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy even as the police recovered CCTV footage showing the suspected abduction of the victim in a car.

According to police sources, Darshan's aide Nagaraj was looking after all the dealings of the actor. He was also taking care of Darshan's farmhouse in Mysuru. Nagaraj was on the run ever since the police arrested Darshan, his friend and actress Pavithra Gowda and 11 other henchmen. Sources did not divulge details about his co-star Pradosh's role in the murder.

Darshan was the lead actor. Another henchman identified as Ravi surrendered before the Deputy Superintendent of Police on Thursday evening. He is a resident of Kurubarahatti in the district headquarter town of Chitradurga, and was at large ever since the murder came to light. So far 16 people have been arrested including Darshan and Pavithra.

Darshan and his gang were arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy from Chitradurga on June 8 night for allegedly sending lewd messages to Pavithra. The victim's body was then dumped in a stormwater drain at Kamakshipalya police station limits.

Police got to know about the murder when a food delivery boy alerted them about dogs eating the body of a man. On June 9, three accused had approached police and confessed to having murdered Renukaswamy over a financial dispute. As the investigation progressed, police learnt that the trio was trying to mislead the investigation and that Darshan and gang was involved in it.

During inquiry, the police team learnt that Darshan reportedly offered the gang members Rs 30 lakh and agreed to take care of their families till they are out of jail in this case,” a source said. The team probing the murder case stumbled upon the CCTV footage showing the suspected abduction of the victim by some associates of Darshan in this district headquarters town of Chitradurga.

The footage extracted on June 8 showed the car zooming past the highway. Police believed that Renukaswamy was inside the car. They suspect that the 34-year-old pharmacy worker, a fan of Darshan, was "lured" by his abductors. "He was then driven straight to Bengaluru where he was tortured to death," a police official said.

Sources said Darshan, popularly known as "Challenging star", was furious with Renukaswamy after he sent obscene messages and images to Pavithra Gowda (33).

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce met on Thursday amid demand for a ban on Darshan’s movies. They decided that a delegation consisting of former presidents and executive committee members would meet the family members of Renukaswamy on Friday in Chitradurga.

They also maintained that any action on Darshan will be based on the police inquiry report as it pertains to a murder case. A decision will be taken in consultation with the film artists’ association. -PTI