Darshan murder case takes a new turn as witness turns hostile

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The 2024 Renukaswamy murder case involving Kannada superstar Darshan and his friend Pavithra Gowda saw a huge development as an employee of the shed where the alleged murder took place turned hostile on Wednesday.

As per the latest updates, he told the court that he did not know what happened at the shed where Renukaswamy was allegedly murdered.

Prime witness turns hostile in Darshan case

According to a report by TNN Bengaluru, Darshan and Pavithra appeared before the court through video conference from Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara.

Witness says he did not know what happened at shed

During the hearing, the witness, Puneeth MJ, who worked at the Pattanagere shed, shared that three men were already present at the shed when he arrived for work on June 8, 2024.

According to the prosecution, the alleged murder took place between 12:30 pm and 6:30 pm that day.Puneeth also told the court that five more people arrived in a car later. However, he said he did not know who they were and could not identify the accused who appeared through video conference.He claimed that he left the shed around 6:30 pm to travel to Male Mahadeshwara Hills after having food. A few other employees, including a security guard, were still there when he left.

He told the court that he did not know what happened afterwards.Puneeth further testified that he learnt about the murder through news reports on June 10. He said the police contacted him the same day and asked him to visit the police station.He later travelled to his hometown near Kanakapura and then to Hassan. He also told the court that he changed his mobile phone and purchased a basic handset.Special Public Prosecutor Prasanna P Kumar said Puneeth was being cross-examined over his testimony and the prosecution's allegation that he had turned hostile.The court adjourned the hearing until Thursday.

Darshan seeks physiotherapy for back pain

Meanwhile, Darshan informed the court that he was suffering from back pain and requested physiotherapy. His counsel told the court that they would file an application seeking the necessary treatment on Thursday.For the unversed, the actor was arrested on June 11, 2024, in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy from Chitradurga. According to the police, Renukaswamy was allegedly killed after sending obscene messages to Darshan's associate, Pavithra Gowda.