Karnataka murder: Netas tried to give Darshan a safe passage, dilute charges

BENGALURU: As more details of the Renuka Swamy murder case come to light, police and political circles are abuzz with talk of a state minister's alleged efforts to shield Sandalwood star Darshan, one of the accused, from the long arm of the law.
Reacting to reports of the police force coming under pressure in the murder probe, home minister G Parameshwara told mediapersons on Thursday: "No one has tried to influence us.Law will take its own course."
Sources said the minister in question was the first person to have been alerted by Darshan's aides when the star was picked up by the police from a Mysuru hotel on Tuesday morning.
Fearing that his "celebrity friend" would be charged with murder, the minister made frantic calls to police officers, the state home minister, and even to CM Siddaramaiah's office .
When his desperate knockings on behalf of the star didn't elicit a response from any quarter, the minister rushed to meet Parameshwara at the latter's residence in Sadashivanagar.
The minister wanted a verbal order issued to Bengaluru police to let Darshan go. However, much to his disappointment, the home minister told him that the law would take its own course and cut short the conversation.
By then, news of Darshan's detention was all over television news channels and the police brass made it clear that they were duty-bound to get to the bottom of the case.
Meanwhile, other "well-wishers" of the actor, including a BJP MLA, tried to contact senior police officers in an attempt to dilute the charges against the actor.
Sources said: "Based on CCTV footage and mobile phone call records, the cops initially decided to make Darshan 'accused No. 1'. However, there was no let-up in political pressure to not project Darshan as the prime accused."
In an attempt to ensure they didn't ruffle the feathers of the political lobby, police decided to make Darshan "accused No. 2" and instead made his girlfriend, Pavithra Gowda, "accused No. 1", a police officer said.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, referring to allegations that a senior state minister was running from pillar to post to shield Darshan, said: "I have no idea about Darshan's case and there is no undue pressure on me. In fact, I came to know about it 24 hours after he was arrested."