Overview
- All 17 accused, including Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda, pleaded not guilty before the 64th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court presided by Judge I. P. Naik.
- The formal charges allege Renukaswamy was kidnapped to a shed in Bengaluru and assaulted with slippers and a wooden plank, with the prosecution claiming Darshan attacked his private parts and that some co-accused were offered money to take the blame.
- Proceedings were disrupted by overcrowding as the judge warned of postponement or in-camera hearings before completing the charge-reading and signatures.
- Police cite a 3,991-page charge sheet with CCTV locations, call and message records, recovered photos, and an FSL report that purportedly found blood on Darshan’s clothes, with Gowda named Accused No. 1 and Darshan Accused No. 2.
- All accused remain in judicial custody after being produced from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, and Gowda has filed a Supreme Court review petition on the earlier bail cancellation listed for hearing on Thursday.