Renukaswamy murder case: Kannada actor Darshan spent over Rs 70 lakh to hide crime, proof

BENGALURU: Kannada film actor Darshan may face the heat of the Income Tax (I-T) department soon as city police have decided to write to it about Rs 70.4 lakh seized from his house and his aides and other accused in Renukaswamy’s murder case.
A senior police officer said they had seized Rs 37.4 lakh from Darshan’s house on June 19. Another Rs 3 lakh was seized from Darshan’s wife Vijayalakshmi’s house.
Darshan had allegedly given the money to his wife after the murder of Renukaswamy, the officer added.
Earlier, police found Darshan had paid Rs 30 lakh to his aides to arrange four fall guys to surrender and portray Renukaswamy was murdered over a financial dispute.
‘In all, ₹70L involved to hide crime, proof’
Four persons had surrendered before Kamakshipalya police accordingly. Two of them had taken Rs 5 lakh each from Darshan’s aides and the other two were assured the money would be given to their kin after they were arrested.
According to police, they had recovered Rs 10 lakh from the two accused and the remaining money was found in the residence of Pradosh, an aide of Darshan arrested in the case.
They said the total amount involved in the case to hide the crime and destroy evidence was Rs 70.4 lakh. Darshan has confessed to having borrowed Rs 40 lakh from a friend for addressing legal complications arising out of the murder and destroying evidence.
A senior police officer said Darshan was questioned about the friend who had given the money to him and the actor is said to have disclosed who it is. “On Friday, we questioned Darshan, his aides Vinay, Pradosh and Dhanraj about who all were there with them on the day of the incident... We’ll start questioning Darshan’s friend who gave him the money and others from Sunday,” the officer added.
Darshan and the three other accused, who are in police custody, will be produced before a magistrate court Saturday. They are likely to be sent to judicial custody. Police also questioned two employees working in Pattanagere parking yard and recorded their statements. “A few others are being questioned in the case, we can’t reveal their identity as they are witnesses in the case,” the officer added.