Renukaswamy case: Post the murder, Darshan’s two drivers shopped for hoodies to cover actor’s tattoo on fall guy’s forearm

BENGALURU: Investigations into the Renukaswamy murder case involving Sandalwood star Darshan and his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda has thrown up some startling details: Two of the assaulters had gone shopping to buy new clothes after the killing!
The police team, which has subjected all 17 suspects to intense interrogation to establish their whereabouts before and after the murder, found that Darshan’s spare drivers Nagaraj and Lakshman had visited the Reliance Trends apparel showroom in RR Nagar on June 9 morning, a few hours after Renukaswamy’s body was dumped in a drain in Kamakshipalya.The duo had purchased a grey-coloured hoodie for Raghavendra, one of the kidnappers-turned-fall guys.
Reconstructing the sequence of events, a police team took both 41-year-old Nagaraj and 54-year-old Lakshman to the store on Monday and recorded their statements. CCTV footage from the store was also checked and sourced.
A police officer said: “The purchase of new clothes is a pointer to the attempts made to cover up the crime. Raghavendra, president of Chitradurga District Darshan Fans’ Association who kidnapped Renukaswamy and brought him to the RR Nagar shed, was convinced to become one of the four fall-guys. While Raghavendra was getting ready to surrender before Kamakshipalya police along with three other men, it dawned upon the fellow accused that he sported Darshan’s tattoo on his forearm and that would automatically either raise suspicions about the actor’s complicity in the murder or generate unwanted interest as he was a fan. To keep the tattoo covered while visiting the police station, it was decided to make him wear a full-sleeved T-shirt. So Nagaraj and Lakshman were quickly sent to the showroom and they ended up buying a grey-coloured hoodie (which he was wearing at the time of arrest).”
Scorpio washed, poster removed
Police learnt the accused had washed the Mahindra Scorpio that was used for transporting Renukaswamy’s body from the shed to the drain. “The accused had even removed a poster of Darshan’s movie Kaatera and a sticker that read ‘D Boss’, pasted on the vehicle, before returning it to its owner Punith, who claimed he was not aware of his car having been used to transport a murdered man.
“Removing the stickers and washing the vehicle is nothing but an attempt to destroy evidence,” a police officer said, while pointing out that they have found blood stains on the mats from inside the vehicle.