Enraged by online bullying of co-star, how actor tortures and kills fan

Kannada movie stars Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda are accused of a chilling murder that could put a Sandalwood thriller to shame. The two actors, along with 17 others, have been arrested in the alleged conspiracy to murder 33-year-old Renukaswamy in Bengaluru.

The victim was a die-hard fan of Darshan's, and allegedly posted obscene messages on social media about his close friend and co-star Pavithra. According to some reports, Swamy even sent pictures of his genitals to Pavithra.

An enraged Darshan is said to have hatched a conspiracy to get back at Swamy.

The police claim Swamy was kidnapped from Chitradurga on the 8th of June. Darshan allegedly deputed a fan -- Raghavendra -- to bring the victim to Bengaluru. Raghavendra, along with a taxi driver Ravi, got Swamy to a shed in Kamakshipalya area of the city. The accused claim they "persuaded" the victim to go meet the actor, and did not kidnap him.

What awaited the victim that afternoon, however, was torture and death.

Police claim Swamy was beaten with sticks, whipped with a belt, tied up and subject to electric shocks, an ordeal that lasted four hours. The post-mortem found 15 injuries including heavy bleeding in the abdomen, a strong blow to the head, and wounds on the groin, hands, feet, back and chest. The report said he died of shock and internal bleeding.

The next day, a food delivery agent found Swamy's body dumped near a drain. Dogs were feasting on the corpse.

Four men surrendered and confessed to the crime, a day later. On further interrogation they gave up the names of Darshan and Pavithra. Soon, others surrendered or were arrested.

Among them was Dhanraj who submitted the device believed to have been used to administer electric shocks. The electrical instrument called megger helps test insulation resistance. Police claim the accused had summoned Dhanraj to bring the meggar during the assault.

The cops have recovered a leather belt, wooden logs and a blood-stained rope from the shed. They have also seized a mini-truck on which the victim's head was allegedly banged.

According to the Police, Darshan paid Rs 50 lakh to the men involved in the planning and execution of the horrific crime. Rs 30 lakh was allegedly paid to Pradosh to handle all aspects of the abduction, murder and disposal of the body. Darshan is accused of paying Rs 5 lakh each to four others to take the blame.