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Renukaswamy Murder Case: Charges have been framed against 17 accused including Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeep, his associate Pavitra Gowda in the Renukaswamy murder case. The court formally signed the charge sheets after the accused refused to plead guilty. After this, Darshan, Pavitra and seven other accused were taken back to jail. Let us tell you what happened in this hearing of the court…
New Delhi. A Bengaluru sessions court on Monday framed charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping against Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeep, his associate Pavitra Gowda and 15 other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. All 17 accused declared themselves innocent in the court. When presented before the court, all the 17 accused declared themselves innocent. Darshan was seen in public after about two and a half months. His pictures and videos of coming out of jail and reaching the court in a police car are going viral on social media.
According to information, the proceedings took place in the 64th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court (CCH-57), where Judge I P Naik formally read out the charges. The next hearing of the case will start from November 10.
According to the police, Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, was kidnapped and murdered after he allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavitra Gowda on social media. His mutilated body was found near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli area in June last year. The accused have been charged under sections 101 (murder), 61 (criminal conspiracy), 137 (kidnapping) and 189 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Justice Code (BNS).
According to PTI, the court was packed during the proceedings. On this matter, Judge IP Naik expressed his displeasure over the overcrowding. The judge said, ‘How can charges be framed when so many people are here?’
The judge directed that the lawyers who are not involved in the case should go out. He warned that if proper arrangements are not maintained then the hearing will be adjourned or conducted behind closed doors. Later, after peace was restored, the court started reading the charges.
The judge formally read out all the serious charges (murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence etc.) in front of the accused under which the charge sheet was filed by the police. First of all the main accused A1 (Pavitra Gowda) and A2 (Darshan) were produced before the judge. According to reports, Pavitra Gowda was standing right in front of Darshan and asked him to come forward. After hearing the allegations, Darshan said, ‘This is all a lie.’ He said emphatically, ‘It’s all a lie sir, it’s all a lie’. All 17 accused declared themselves innocent in the court.
The prosecution alleged that Renukaswamy was abducted and brought to Bengaluru and brutally beaten for the objectionable messages he sent to Gowda.
According to the allegations, Pavitra Gowda hit the victim with a slipper, while Darshan ‘attacked his private parts by removing his pants’, resulting in his death.
After the framing of charges, the actual hearing (trial) of the case will start from November 10. The actual hearing of the case, including the testimony of witnesses, will begin from November 10. The court formally signed the charge sheets after the accused refused to plead guilty. After this, Darshan, Pavitra and seven other accused were taken back to jail.
