Cops may seek victim’s account data from social media firms

Bengaluru: Police on Monday continued its efforts to trace the mobile phone of S Renukaswamy, the slain fan of Sandalwood star Darshan, even as they are planning to write to social media firms seeking details of his posts.A police team with the help of BBMP’s pourakarmikas and local swimmers searched for the phones, an officer said. Darshan’s aides had confessed that they had thrown the phones of Renukaswamy and accused Raghavendra in the drain at Summanahalli where the body was dumped. “We were unable to trace the phones in more than 500-metre stretch. We’ll search for a couple of more days. If we don’t get the phones, then we’ll write to social media firms, including Instagram and Facebook which were used by Renukaswamy. We’ll ask the companies to give data of his posts, messages to individuals, mainly to Pavithra Gowda, Darshan’s girlfriend and one of the accused,” a senior officer said. “We have already seized Pavithra’s phone and are in the process of recovering data from her account. If we get Renukaswamy’s phone, it will help the case in two ways: One is about recovering the phone which is crucial evidence and was destroyed by the accused. Another, we’ll be able to retrieve data from his phone directly,” the officer said.Mahazar at resto barSandalwood actor Chikkanna appeared before police and recorded his statement. Chikkanna was summoned as he was reportedly partying with Darshan at Stonny Brook resto bar in RR Nagar when Renukaswamy was brought from his hometown of Chitradurga on June 8.Darshan and fellow accused Vinay were taken to the resto bar. Chikkanna was also present at the outlet for a three-hour mahazar (spot inspection). Another officer told TOI: “Darshan had attended a party along with few friends at the resto bar owned by Vinay. We reconstructed the scene at the bar where Darshan, Vinay and Chikkanna and others were sitting on June 8. The statements of the trio and the staff in the bar were recorded.” Chikkanna later visited Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station. “He left after recording his statement in the evening. Chikkanna was asked if he noticed Darshan attending to phone calls of other accused persons who had brought Renukaswamy,” the officer said. Police also questioned Chikkanna if he overheard Darshan speaking to someone about the abduction of Renukaswamy or him calling Pavithra Gowda. Police had earlier served a notice on Chikkanna in his flat in RR Nagar.