Kannada superstar Darshan, currently facing charges of kidnapping and murdering his fan Renukaswamy, was provided a television in his prison cell for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Darshan, along with his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 others, has been implicated in the case.
According to sources, a 32-inch television was installed in Darshan’s cell on Saturday after he requested it the previous week. He stated that he wanted to stay informed about the submission of the chargesheet in his case and keep up with news from the outside world. The prison authorities approved the request in line with prison guidelines, though there was a delay as the television needed repairs.
Darshan had previously been granted other privileges, including a surgical chair due to difficulty using the Indian toilet in his cell, and permission to make phone calls. Additionally, Rs 35,000 was deposited into his prison account, and he has reportedly spent Rs 735 on tea and coffee from the jail canteen.
The chargesheet against Darshan reveals the cruelty inflicted on Renukaswamy during his captivity. It alleges that Darshan and the other accused forced the vegetarian victim to eat non-vegetarian food. When Renukaswamy spat out the biryani, Darshan repeatedly kicked him, even as he bled and became critically injured.
The chargesheet also mentions that Darshan later traveled to Mysuru wearing shoes stained with Renukaswamy’s blood. However, by the time of his arrest the following morning, he had changed shoes, and the blood-stained pair, along with other belongings, had been sent to his wife Vijayalaxmi’s residence in Bengaluru.
