Nine prison officials, including Chief Jail Superintendent V Seshumurthy and Jail Superintendent Mallikarjun Swamy were suspended on Monday for allegedly giving special treatment to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is currently in judicial custody in the Renukaswamy murder case.
The action came a day after an inquiry was conducted after a photo of the actor smoking with a coffee mug in hand in the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara in the city emerged on social media on Sunday sparking a row.
The picture shows Darshan sitting leisurely on a lawn on the jail premises along with three others, including two alleged rowdy-sheeters.
Others who have been suspended are jailers Sharan Basappa Amingad and Prabhu S Khandelwal, assistant jailers L S Kuppeswamy, Srikanth Talwar, head warders Venkappa, Sampath Kumar and warder K Basappa, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters here on Monday.
“Already seven officers have been suspended. After gathering more information after visiting the place, the Chief Jail Superintendent Sheshumurthy and Superintendent Mallikarjun Swamy have been suspended as it was a lapse on their part,” the Minister said.
He added that if more officers are found involved in this case then they could be either suspended or dismissed from the service.
The investigation will also follow to find out who provided cigarette, tea and chairs to the actor, he added.
“Three FIRs have been registered against him (Darshan) since he has violated the prison manuals. Action will be started against him,” Parameshwara said.
He said he has given instruction to carry out further investigation. Senior IPS officials will carry out further investigation. Action will follow based on the report, he added.
To a question, Parameshwara said presently discussions are on regarding shifting Darshan.
The Additional Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services) Malini Krishnamoorthy said the three FIR pertains to the usage of mobile phones and cigarette on the jail premises and smuggling these items inside the jail.
“Darshan is a party in it. The FIR includes the prison officers and those who used these items as accused. A senior IPS officer will investigate it,” Krishnamoorthy told reporters.
Asked whether it requires an incident like this to "wake up," she said: “We have been monitoring but when we have black sheep it becomes difficult to keep a track. That’s the reason we are insisting on CCTV cameras. We are also mulling over using artificial intelligence and purchasing it (device).”
According to her, the preliminary inquiry suggested that the incident happened on August 22 evening.
“We did not have any information about any such incident. If we knew it then we would have taken action. There was a lapse in monitoring the CCTV footage,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Noting that the Prisons department is committed to enforce the jail manuals, she said the government has taken this incident seriously.
Meanwhile, addressing media in Belagavi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah admitted that there was a lapse on the part of Prison officials.
“There has been a lapse on the part of the officers concerned. We have already suspended seven officers. A few more will also be suspended. I have told the Home Minister G Parameshwara to visit the place and remove those who facilitated,” the CM said.
Pointing out that the illegality has happened at the official level, he said he did not know whether they did it by taking bribe.
A total of 17 people including Darshan along with his friend Pavithra Gowda are currently in judicial custody in connection with the murder case.
According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to 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.
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, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.
Police sources said Gowda, who is accused number one, was the "major cause" for Renukaswamy's murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.
