[13] On June 7, 2024, Renukaswamy was abducted by Raghu who is an associate of Darshan when he was held captive in the shed where he was beaten to death.
Police said Ms Gowda was present in the shed for at least some time while Renukaswamy was beaten up with sticks and given multiple electric shocks.
According to news agency PTI, it was Ms Gowda who instigated Darshan to punish Renukaswamy for the posts made by him.
However, Deepak has allegedly told the police that Darshan along with other accused tortured the victim and that it was the actor who kicked Renukaswamy on the private parts, which may have caused his death.
The security guard of a nearby apartment complex who stumbled upon the scene, found the corpse being disturbed by feral dogs.
He offered Rs 5 lakh each to Nikhil Naik, Karthik, Raghavendra, and Keshava Murthy to conceal Darshan's name and take responsibility for the crime.
This revelation has added a complex layer to the investigation, as the police now have to probe the extent of Darshan's involvement and the motives behind the murder, beyond the initially claimed financial dispute.
[18] An FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team visited the crime scene to gather all available evidence and corroborate the findings.
The police recovered several critical pieces of evidence, including CCTV footage that captured key moments related to the crime.
They also obtained call record details, which are being analyzed to trace communications among the accused and to establish a timeline of events.
This extension allowed the police additional time to continue their interrogation, gather more evidence, and further investigate the roles and motives of the accused in connection with the murder case.
Alongside him, the other suspects involved in the murder case of Renukaswamy were assigned subsequent prisoner numbers: Dhanaraj (6107), Vinay (6108), and Pradosh (6109).
Initially, due to the high-profile nature of the case and security concerns, Darshan and the co-accused were placed in a high-security cell within the prison premises.
[30] On June 18, a specialised team proficient in cyber technology investigated if Renukaswamy was the victim of hacking or imposter by another person who poses him with a lewd message to Gowda.
Chetan Kumar pointed out that "there are observations connecting toxic masculinity with violence in movies which led to real-life consequences".
Ram Gopal Varma stated that a star used his fame to kill a fan, and director Hemanth M. Rao said that he was still shocked and heartbroken about the case.
They also demanded strict punishment for him and Gowda, and called for a CBI inquiry into Renukaswamy's death for solidarity with the victim's family.