Fan clubs of Darshan Thoogudeepa are now under police scanner as they intensified investigation into the Renukaswamy murder case in which the Kannada actor and his friend Pavithra Gowda have been arrested along with 15 others.

Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, was abducted from his hometown of Chitradurga by a key club member and his associates and brought to Bengaluru where he was tortured and murdered. His body was found here on June nine.

According to police sources, Renukaswamy had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged the actor, allegedly leading to his murder.

“The role of fan clubs is very dubious, especially after the Renukaswamy murder case. The Chitradurga Darshan Fan Club convener Raghavendra alias Raghu and his accomplices were instrumental in the abduction of the victim,” a police officer said.

According to him, the police are "screening" key members of Darshan fan clubs across the state and their activities as they are suspected to have harboured some anti-social elements.

“With his money power and clout, Darshan was protecting them,” another police officer claimed.

Police sources said the fan club members were allegedly heavily paid by Darshan and the film producers, directors and financiers to create a favourable box-office atmosphere whenever his movies were released.

To get a lucrative share in the income generated from Darshan movies, fan clubs would strive for the success of his films, the sources said, adding, often there would be a competition amongst them in various districts.

“It has also been observed that these fan club members would clash with the fan club members of other actors whenever Darshan movies were released simultaneously with the ‘rival actor’,” the sources said.

Police are also contemplating opening a rowdy-sheet against Darshan as he allegedly has contacts with some rowdies in different parts of the state who many a times operated through his fan clubs, the sources said.

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