Kannada actor Darshan arrested, jailed for 'assaulting' wife

Bangalore, Sep 9 (IANS) On a day that saw high-octane drama, Kannada actor Darshan was arrested here early Friday after his wife lodged a complaint of harassment against him. He was sent to 14 days judicial custody even as his wife later withdrew the complaint, police said.

'We have arrested Darshan on a complaint filed by his wife, accusing him of assaulting her and threatening to kill her and their three-year-old son Vineesh,' Bangalore Deputy Commissioner of Police-West Siddaramappa told IANS.

The police arrested Darshan earlier in the day under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after registering a first information report (FIR) on the basis of the complaint Vijayalakshmi sent from a nursing home in the upscale western suburb where she was admitted with multiple injuries on the head, body and limbs.

Vijayalaksmi also alleged that after assaulting her, an inebriated Darshan pointed a revolver on her forehead and threatened to kill their son in a fit of rage over marital discord.

'The metropolitan magistrate sent Darshan to 14-day (till Sep 22) judicial custody as the public prosecutor could not be present at the hearing, which was held at the judge's residence in the city,' Siddaramappa said.

However, later in the evening, Vijaylakshmi turned up at the house of the magistrate and withdrew her complaint, saying that she was injured as she had fallen in the bathroom.

Darshan's counsel Raghavendra Reddy said he would file for bail Monday.

'As public prosecutor could not be present after the courts shut for the day, we will move the bail application Monday for Darshan's release,' Reddy told reporters.

The police whisked away Darshan, the upcoming Sandalwood actor who is the son of popular Kannada artist Thoogudeepa Srinivas and T. Meena., to Parpanna Agrahara central jail on the outskirts of the city.

During the day-long drama at the nursing home and police station, where Darshan was detained, hundreds of frenzied fans gathered and demanded his immediate release, raising slogans against the police for arresting him.

When some of the enraged fans pelted stones at a couple of state-run Bangalore Metropolitan Road Transport Corporation buses, the police rushed to the spot and dispersed them to diffuse the situation.

--Indo-Asian New Service

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