Bengaluru, July 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) In the latest development in the fan murder case, the investigation into the alleged intimidation of a key prosecution witness has taken a significant turn, with the Kamakshipalya police probing the case uncovering the alleged links of three arrested persons to influential individuals.
Police stated that the accused Puneeth, Venu and Suhas are accused of threatening Sandeep, a cashier at a bar who is considered a key witness in the fan murder case, in an attempt to influence the investigation.
According to police, the three accused, along with Gaurav and Kiran Reddy, allegedly made WhatsApp calls to Sandeep, threatening him and pressuring him not to cooperate with investigators. The probe has revealed that Gaurav and Kiran Reddy were in constant touch with Puneeth before his arrest. However, after Puneeth was taken into custody, both allegedly went absconding. Police have launched a search to trace and arrest them.
Investigators have also identified another bar owner from Sanjaynagar as a suspect in the witness intimidation case. He too is absconding, and efforts are underway to locate him.
During the investigation, police are said to have established links between the accused and certain influential persons. One of the absconding bar owners is allegedly in contact with a member of jailed actor Darshan's family. Investigators are examining whether these contacts had any role in the alleged attempt to influence or intimidate the witness.
To verify the digital trail, police have seized the accused's mobile phones and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis. The FSL report is expected to shed light on WhatsApp calls, messages and other electronic evidence, helping investigators determine the precise role of each accused and whether others were involved in the alleged conspiracy.
Police said the investigation into the witness intimidation case is continuing, and further arrests are likely as more evidence emerges. The probe is being treated as an important development in the larger investigation into the fan murder case.
Kannada superstar Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested in June 2024 for allegedly masterminding the brutal murder of his 33-year-old fan, Renukaswamy, whose body was found in a Bengaluru canal. The victim was targeted for sending derogatory social media messages to Darshan's partner, Pavithra Gowda.
The trial is ongoing, but the investigation has been plagued by witness intimidation and tampering. The Kamakshipalya Police arrested three members of Darshan's fan club for allegedly threatening a prosecution witness over WhatsApp. Investigators discovered that the arrested individuals had deleted chat histories and call logs from their mobile phones, which had to be sent for forensic analysis.
Source: IANS
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