Kannada actor Pratham claims kidnapping, threat at knife-point by Darshan Thoogudeepa's fans , demands police protection

Kannada actor Pratham claims kidnapping, threat at knife-point by Darshan Thoogudeepa's fans , demands police protection

A day after actress and former MP Ramya filed a police complaint against fans of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa for sending vulgar and abusive messages on Instagram, Kannada Bigg Boss season 4 winner and actor Pratham has also approached the police, alleging a life-threatening incident involving Darshan’s followers.

On Tuesday, Pratham submitted a complaint to Bengaluru Rural SP CK Baba, claiming that notorious rowdy Bakery Raghu and his associates had kidnapped and threatened him with weapons for criticizing Darshan. The alleged incident occurred on July 22 in Doddaballapur, after Pratham attended a puja at the Yellamma Temple.

“They brandished a dagger and knife. When confronting me, Raghu showed a photograph taken inside jail, claiming to be with Darshan. It was with great difficulty that I managed to escape with my life. It was a serious incident,” Pratham stated in his complaint.

He said the group forced him out of his car and verbally abused him for speaking out against Darshan. Pratham told reporters he would begin an indefinite hunger protest at the SP’s office unless Darshan personally intervened and urged his followers to stop threatening other actors.

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Pratham has also sought police protection, citing fear for his life. “For the past week, Darshan’s close associates have been urging me to withdraw my complaint. Since Monday, over 500 fan pages — including D Dynasty, D Kingdom, D Universe, and Devil Kingdom — have been targeting me with defamatory content,” he said.

The incident follows recent public outrage over abusive messages directed at Ramya, who was vocal against Darshan following his alleged involvement in the Renukaswamy murder case. Support has poured in for Ramya, with senior actor Shivarajkumar and his wife Geetha condemning the online abuse.

In a social media post, Shivarajkumar said, “It is not right to speak that way about any woman, and we must not tolerate it. It is very important to respect women — as mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and above all, as individuals. Your stand is right, Ramya. We will always stand with you.”

Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara also weighed in, assuring action. “Not only Ramya, such abuse towards any woman will not be tolerated. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner will be instructed to take strict action,” he said.

Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh confirmed that the case has been handed over to the CCB and will be investigated by a DCP-rank officer under the supervision of the Joint Commissioner.