Kannada actor and murder suspect Darshan is once again embroiled in controversy. He is being held as an undertrial in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Jail, but recently surfaced photos and videos of him being given “VIP treatment” have sparked outrage online. (Also read: Dhruva Sarja reacts to Darshan’s murder arrest: “No one is above the law, not even the king”).
Darshan’s leaked photos and videos
On Sunday, a photo of Darshan sitting on the jail lawn, smoking a cigarette, having a drink and chatting with other inmates was circulated online. The date of the photo is unclear, but it was enough to stoke discontent. To make matters worse, a video of Darshan talking to someone over video call was also circulated online.
Karnataka’s Home Minister G. Parameshwara called it a “blunder,” ordered an investigation and suspended seven prison officials as of Monday. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also told reporters that there was no “favourite behaviour.” “We are considering transferring (Darshan and others). This is a blunder that has happened at the official level,” he said.
Online complaints about “VIP treatment”
After the photos and video were leaked, people took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their opinions on the matter. One person shared the photo and wrote, “What did you all expect? Come on, it’s not just Darshan. All VIPs are treated the same in prison. The country runs on power, influence and money. Only common citizens are subject to rules, constitution, orders and laws.”
“Is Darshan really as good a person as his fans say he is? He donates food to charities on his birthday and is known to be an animal lover, but are these real?” questioned another. One person opined, “If this is true then what is the point of keeping criminals locked up in jail? Let Darshan go home. Let him appear in court.”
One person likened him to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, writing: “This is very disturbing!! He is using the prison as his retreat and living like Pablo Escobar. The government should look at this video and think.”
A number of memes also began circulating using Darshan’s picture depicting how the police treat a “rich person” after a “murder” and how a “poor person” is treated after a “traffic rule violation”.
Some have criticised the decision to transfer Darshan to another prison, with one writing: “Instead of fixing the problem, firing those responsible and ensuring this never happens again, they are trying to transfer Darshan to another prison. As if this doesn’t happen in other prisons. Out of BLR prison there will be less media scrutiny.”
Darshan jailed on murder charges
In June this year, a man named Renukaswami was found murdered in Bengaluru. After two men confessed to the murder, police traced the case to Kannada actor Darshan and his friend Pavitra Gowda.
Renukaswami had allegedly been abusing Pavithra over his relationship with Vijayalakshmi’s wife, Darshan, and police sources said Renukaswami was beaten to death in retaliation, according to PTI.
