Kannada cine star Darshan arrested; remanded in judicial custody

Popular Kannada actor 'Challenging Star' Tugudeepa Darshan was arrested by Vijayanagar police in the early hours of Friday for allegedly assaulting his wife Vijayalakshmi and threatening her life at gunpoint.

He was produced before the court which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days despite the couple coming together for a compromise after the incident.

Vijayalakshmi filed a complaint against her husband in the early hours of Friday after she was allegedly beaten up by him on Thursday evening.

She stated in her complaint that he had started to harass her after she began questioning him about his close liaisons with actor Nikitha.

Vijayalakshmi alleged that Darshan had forced her to transfer ownership of some properties registered in her name.

After being assaulted on Thursday, Vijayalakshmi was left with a swollen left eye, head and face, burn marks on her arms and a bite mark on her ear.

She was rushed to Gayatri Hospital in Vijayanagar around 30 minutes past Thursday midnight and admitted for treatment. The Vijayanagar police took a complaint from her in the wee hours of Friday.

The police have registered a case of attempt to murder and life threat against Darshan under various provisions in the sections of Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.

The police arrested Darshan on Friday morning when he came to the hospital around 5am to see his wife.

The police took him to an undisclosed location for interrogation to avoid media glare. Darshan reportedly told the police that he had beaten up his wife over some argument.

The police came under pressure from various influential personalities of the Kannada film industry not register a case and to release Darshan. However, the police did not yield.

But film stars like Ambarish, Vijay, Jaggesh, Prem and others managed to bring about a compromise between Darshan and Vijayalakshmi on Friday evening.

The police produced Darshan before the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) judge Venkatesh Hulagi at the latter’s residence in Judicial Block of National Games Village in Koramangala.

Hulagi, in the absence of a public prosecutor, ordered Darshan to be remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

Vijayalakshmi also attended the court at the time and requested not to consider the case as it was purely a family matter.

The actor has been admitted at the hospital located within the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail premises after the jail officials observed that the actor was tired and needed rest. Darshan is unlikely to get bail until Monday due to the weekend in between. The bail plea will come up before the court on Monday.