Who Is Darshan Thoogudeepa? Kannada Actor Arrested In Renuka Swamy Murder Case

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has been hitting the headlines ever since he was arrested by Bengaluru police in connection with Renuka Swamy's murder case on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, who was found dead at Sumanahalli Bridge in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The actor was picked up from a hotel in Mysuru and was later shifted to Bengaluru by the jurisdictional police. Later, Darshan's wife, Pavithra Gowda, was also arrested by police officials in the murder case.

Reportedly, ten people have been arrested in the case so far. 

Renuka Swamy, 33, who worked at an Apollo Pharmacy branch in Chitradurga, had allegedly sent derogatory messages to Darshan's wife, leading to the murder case.

Swamy's parents filed a missing person report but were asked to wait two days, as he had only been missing for a day. The murder was reported on June 9, after which a case was registered.

Darshan and Pavithra were arrested based on a complaint by Swamy's mother.

Who Is Darshan Thoogudeepa?

Darshan was born in 1977 to actor Thoogudeepa Srinivas in Ponnampet, Kodagu district, Karnataka.

He is well-known for his movies like Anatharu and Krantiveera Sangolly Rayanna, released in 2012. The actor's fans call him a ‘challenging star’ in Sandalwood. 

Darshan also has his own production house, Thoogudeepa Productions, which was established in 2006. The production house's first movie was Jothe Jotheyalu, in which Darshan made a special appearance. 

The actor has a sister, Divya, and a younger brother, Dinakar, a filmmaker, who runs the production house.

However, this is not the first time he has landed in trouble. Earlier in 2021, Darshan was accused of assaulting a waiter at a restaurant in Mysuru.

In 2011, Darshan was arrested for allegedly assaulting Vijayalakshmi Thogudeepa. Later, during the examination, the team of doctors found bruises and a sign of wounds on the back of Vijayalakshmi's head. He also spent a month in jail, however, later, due to mental pressure and the actor's status, Vijaylakshmi took her complaint back.

While still officially married to each other, Darshan and Vijayalakshmi allegedly do not live together.