Kannada actor Darshan has been in jail since June for the alleged murder of Renukaswamy. A News18 report said that an ex-inmate named Sidharoodha met the actor at the Parappana Agrahara jail. The man detailed how Darshan is coping with being an under-trial prisoner.

Ex-inmate claims to have met Darshan

Siddharoodha told the publication that he spoke to the actor for 12 minutes while in prison. He also said it was difficult to adjust to food in prison. He said, “Darshan is losing weight, and his skin is getting pale. It is tough to adjust to the food. You can see it in his face and eyes that he’s repenting. He is trying to push through the days and immersing himself in reading.”

The ex-inmate also shared that Darshan is getting various books from the prison library to read, “Sometimes he takes a short walk, he spends most of his time reading books in the room. He has 15-20 books including Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Mahabharata, apart from autobiographies of Yogi and Vivekananda.”

Siddharoodha claimed that he spent 22 years in jail and is now out on parole. He requested the authorities to let him meet Darshan before coming out of prison as he was a fan. He claims the authorities let him meet the Kannada actor for a few minutes.

Darshan’s wife meets Deputy CM

Darshan Thoogudeepa’s wife, Vijayalakshmi met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Sivakumar at his residence on Wednesday. However, Sivakumar denied to the press that the meeting was about helping Darshan. He claimed that the meeting was regarding the admission of their son Vineesh Thoogudeepa in his school.

“Darshan’s fans were raising slogans and demanding justice for the actor. He is in judicial custody and the police are investigating it. I never interfere in the investigation or judicial process. Law will take its course,” he said.

Darshan petitions for home-cooked food

According to PTI, Darshan’s advocate argued in court earlier this month that undertrial prisoners were permitted to receive food, clothing and bedding from home if they could not provide for themselves. A Bengaluru court reserved the order on Darshan’s petition for July 25.

Darshan petitioned the Karnataka High Court seeking a direction to the prison authorities to allow him home-cooked food in the jail. He has also sought cutlery, clothing, bedding, and books. In his petition, he noted that he has lost several kilograms as he is unable to eat and digest the food provided at the prison.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Darshan’s close friend Pavithra Gowda, a co-accused in the case, which enraged the actor, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

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