Bengaluru Police Arrest Three Darshan Fans For Threatening Prosecution Witness

Three fans of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa have been arrested for allegedly threatening a prosecution witness and attempting to influence his testimony in the Renukaswamy murder trial. A Bengaluru court on Thursday remanded the three accused to five days of police custody for further questioning over the alleged witness intimidation.

The arrested men have been identified as Puneeth, 40, a grocery retail business owner, Suhas, 37, who supervises construction work, and Venu, 33, a software engineer. All three are residents of Tumakuru. Police said the men are connected to a Facebook fan page called “D Company,” which is associated with Darshan and his supporters.

According to police, Puneeth is the administrator of the Facebook fan page, Suhas serves as its editor and Venu is a member. Investigators suspect that their alleged involvement in the case is linked to their association with the actor's fan network. The three men were arrested on Thursday, produced before a court and sent to police custody for further interrogation.

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The investigation began after prosecution witness Sandeep S informed the court on June 30 that he had received threatening calls instructing him to testify according to the directions of the accused. Sandeep, who works as a cashier at a bar and restaurant, had given his deposition in the Renukaswamy murder trial a few days earlier.

Sandeep told the court that on June 24, a day after his deposition, a friend took him to a car where unidentified men allegedly attempted to coach him on what to say during the trial. He claimed they told him to deny recognising the murder accused and to say that police had dictated his earlier statement and obtained his signature on records involving a DVR and pen drive.

According to Sandeep, one of the men also made a WhatsApp call to a person described as an advocate, while four others were allegedly present on the call. Police later questioned Sandeep's friend, who reportedly admitted taking him to meet Puneeth, Suhas and Venu. Investigators are now questioning the three accused to determine the full extent of the alleged attempt to influence the witness.

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