This is an archive article published on August 26, 2024
Photo of actor and murder accused Darshan Thoogudeepa smoking cigarette with gangster inside jail goes viral
Seven jail officials have been suspended for allowing Darshan access to mobile phones and special privileges in prison. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has also directed officials to shift the actor and his co-accused in the case to other prisons.
The viral photo accessed by The Indian Express shows Darshan, Wilson Garden Naga, and others sitting on a lawn of the prison and smoking a cigarette while holding a cup in his hand. (Express Photo)
Undated video and photo of jailed Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa smoking a cigarette with gangster J Nagaraj alias Wilson Garden Naga and making a call inside the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru have gone viral.
The viral photo accessed by The Indian Express shows Darshan, Wilson Garden Naga, and others sitting on a lawn of the prison and smoking a cigarette while holding a cup in his hand. In another video, Darshan Thoogudeepa can be seen making a video call.
Advertisement
Darshan and 11 others were arrested in June in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga.
While The Indian Express could not independently verify them, a prison officer said they were aware of the video and photo, and that an inquiry has been ordered by the Director General of Police (prisons) to look into the allegations.
Visuals of actor and murder accused Darshan Thoogudeepa smoking cigarette with gangster inside jail goes viralhttps://t.co/Idkay8NXsg pic.twitter.com/F5LjgwMI3i
As many as seven jail officials have been suspended for allowing Darshan access to mobile phones and special privileges in prison, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said. An internal probe had been ordered into the privileges given to the actor, he added.
The Home Minister has also directed officials to shift Darshan and his co-accused in the case to other prisons.
Advertisement
Reacting to the viral photo and video, Renukaswamy’s father Kashinath Shivannagoudar expressed his anguish about the ongoing investigation. “Though we trust the state police, it is sad that the murder accused are enjoying. We feel a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation is needed,” he added.
Darshan and his associates have been lodged in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison since June 22 after his police custody ended. Police officers said the investigation into the Renukaswamy murder case was in the final stages and the chargesheet would soon be submitted to the court.
Last year, the Bengaluru police imposed the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act, 2000, against Wilson Garden Naga following the murder of South Bengaluru gangster Mahesh N alias Siddapura Mahesh.
This is not the first time reports about “VIP treatment” to inmates at the Bengaluru Central Prison have emerged. The then AIADMK leader Sasikala also allegedly received special treatment inside the prison while serving her sentence in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The viral photo accessed by The Indian Express shows Darshan, Wilson Garden Naga, and others sitting on a lawn of the prison and smoking a cigarette while holding a cup in his hand. (Express Photo) 
Share
