Karnataka Police seize 15 mobiles, knives, and stoves from Bengaluru prison holding actor Darshan

Karnataka Police seized 15 mobile phones, including a Samsung device worth ₹1.3 lakh, seven electric stoves, five knives, three mobile phone chargers, and ₹36,000 in cash during a police raid on a barrack of Bengaluru Central Prison on Saturday. The police also recovered two pen drives, cigarettes, beedi and matchstick boxes during the raid.

According to media reports, the search operation comes days after a photo of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa hanging out with gangsterWilson Garden Naga on the lawns of the Bengaluru jail went viral on social media. In the viral phot, the Kannada actor is seen sitting on a chair and holding a cigarette and a coffee mug. Darshan is under judicial custody regarding the alleged murder of a fan named Renukaswamy. The viral image has raised concerns about the preferential treatment being given to Darshan in jail.

It is important to note that after the actor’s photo socializing with a gangster Wilson Garden Naga became viral, Darshan and his fellow accused were shifted to different jails. 12 prison officers and other staffers were suspended. Darshan was shifted from Parappana Agrahara Central prison to a jail in Ballari amid tight security.

Surprisingly, the search operation was confined to the barracks housing gangster Naga. The Block 3, where Darshan was being held, was left out of the raid. The police raid, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, began around 4:30 pm after assessing the prisoners.

Earlier on Friday, the Bengaluru court extended the judicial custody of Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and others till September 17.

Darshan was arrested on June 11 in connection with the brutal murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. The victim, a fan of Darshan’s, allegedly sent inappropriate messages to Darshan’s partner Pavithra Gowda leading to the deadly confrontation. The murder resulted in the arrest of 17 individuals, including Darshan and Pavithra Gowda.