Kannada actor Darshan thanks fans for supporting him during his time in jail

Bengaluru: Speaking out for the first time after his release from prison on bail in the Renukaswamy murder case, Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa Saturday thanked his fans for their support and affection during the difficult times.Darshan (47) and his friend actress Pavithra Gowda are among the 17 accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. He, Gowda and a few other accused in the case were granted bail by the high court on December 13 last year while others were granted bail earlier.

Darshan was already out on interim bail for medical reasons when the high court granted him bail.

The actor was arrested on June 11 last year for allegedly killing Renukaswamy, his fan, on June 8 for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda.

On Saturday, Darshan requested his fans not to queue up outside his residence on his birthday on February 16, saying his health condition doesn't allow him to meet his fans who gather there.

"I would like to thank all my beloved celebrities (fans) for their love and support. Should I say Namaskara or thanks? No matter what I say, it won't be enough. You have shown so much affection towards me, I don't know how to return it," Darshan said in a video posted on X.

Noting he too had the desire to meet and personally thank everyone who comes to wish on his birthday like every year, he said, "But this time the only problem is my health issue, nothing else. I cannot stand for long and thank everyone... whenever I take an injection for 15-20 days I will be okay and once its power reduces, the pain starts. I will have to undergo an operation."

Assuring his fans that he would meet them soon, he said, "I will need to consult my doctors on what to do next. You know about spinal cord problems."
Pointing at movie projects he had accepted, the actor said, "I thank all my producers who waited for me. I should not do injustice to them, as they too would have planned other projects. So I'm trying to push myself."

He also said that he has returned the advance given by producer Soorappa Babu for a film.

According to police, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9 last year.

Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered.

According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, had died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.