Darshan arrested for murder: From affair with Pavithra Gowda to accusations of domestic abuse, 5 controversies of Kannada star

Popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was taken into custody by the Bengaluru police in connection with a murder case on Tuesday. The Sandalwood veteran was arrested from his farmhouse in Mysuru and has been shifted to Bengaluru.

According to the police, the arrest has been made for his alleged involvement in the murder of a youth named Renukaswamy who hailed from Chitradurga. The police had taken nine people in for questioning regarding the murder of Renukaswamy. During this process, Darshan's name was mentioned, leading the police to take him into custody as well.

Renukaswamy was murdered for allegedly sending lewd messages to actress Pavithra Gowda, a close friend of Darshan. He was lured to Darshan's farm house in Mysuru. There, he was tortured and killed, and his body was later disposed of in a drain in Kamakshipalya, two months ago.


The initial investigation began with a missing persons report filed in Chitradurga. During the inquiry, three individuals surrendered, claiming they killed Renukaswamy over a financial dispute. However, further investigation eventually led the police to Darshan.

Who Is Darshan?

Darshan Thoogudeepa known mononymously as Darshan, is one of the most prominent stars of Sandalwood. He was born into an artistic family. His father Srinivas was a popular actor during his time and his brother Dinakar is a director.

Darshan made his big screen debut in the 1997 movie ‘Mahabharatha’. In a span of 27 years, he has appeared in more than 75 movies. However, his breakthrough role came through the 2001 action crime thriller ‘Majestic’. Helmed by PN Satya, the movie narrates the life of Daasa, an orphan who grows up to be a feared gangster. Darshan won plenty of accolades for his portrayal of the angst-ridden and trigger-happy thug.

Some of his most notable works include ‘Daasa’, ‘Kariya’, ‘Gaja’, ‘Navagraha’, ‘Bulbul’, ‘Saarathi' Roberrt’ etc.

Darshan tied the knot with his fiancee Vijayalakshmi in 2003. Together, they have a son named Vineesh. Darshan is a wildlife enthusiast and maintains a zoo near Malavalli. In 2015, he hit headlines for adopting a tiger cub.

No Stranger To Controversies

Although he shot to fame for playing the righteous man on screen, Darshan is no stranger to hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Accusations Of Domestic Abuse

In 2011, he was arrested after his wife filed a complaint for domestic violence. The doctor found a severe wound on the back of her head. Subsequently, Darshan spent 14 days in judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara. Despite this, the marital issues were eventually resolved out of court, and he publicly apologized to his fans for the controversy and claimed that he was intoxicated.

In 2016, his wife reported Darshan's 'objectionable behavior' to the Bengaluru police. In 2021, Darshan faced accusations of assaulting a waiter at a Mysuru hotel, with further claims that the police covered up the incident and compensated the waiter with Rs 50,000.

Affair Alert

In January, actress Pavithra Gowda created a stir on the Internet, when she shared a video on Instagram which celebrated her completing 10 years with Darshan. In the video, she implicated that she was in a relationship with him, despite him being a much married man.

The caption under Pavithra’s post read, “One decade down, forever to go. It’s been 10 years of our relationship. Thank you.” She also added, “Vijayalakshmi knows about my relationship with Darshan and she has told me several times that it is okay. Now, people are abusing me and my teenage daughter, which is causing me mental pain.” Vijayalakshmi threatened to sue the actress.

Charges Of Blasphemy

The actor was slammed for inciting public outrage for making an objectionable comment about Goddess Lakshmi, the deity associated with good luck and prosperity in 2023. While promoting his movie ‘Kranti’, Darshan told the media, “The Goddess of Luck does not always come knocking on your door. So, when she does come, grab her, drag her, and lock her in your bedroom without giving her clothes.” This comment led to a huge backlash for offending religious sentiments. At another event, a member of the audience threw a slipper at the star.

More Assault Charges

In 2023, Darshan was arrested after his dogs bit a 48-year-old lawyer accused that he had ordered his dogs to attack her, for parking her car near the actor’s residence.

Issued Notice For Disturbing Peace

In 2023, following the success of 'Kaatera', Darshan, along with Abhishek Ambareesh, Rockline Venkatesh, and Dhananjaya, celebrated at a bar in Bengaluru. Despite being warned to end the party by 12:30 AM, the festivities continued with loud music. As a result, notices were issued to all the attendees of the all-night party.