Actor and former Mandya MP Divya Spandana, known as Ramya, filed a police complaint against online abusers on Monday, stating that she had received "rape and murder threats" on social media after commenting on the Supreme Court proceedings on the Darshan murder case.

Darshan, a popular figure in the Kannada film industry, is currently out on bail in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga. Renukaswamy, reportedly a fan of Darshan, was allegedly killed for posting derogatory remarks about actor Pavitra Gowda, who was allegedly in a relationship with Darshan.

The Supreme Court recently rapped the Karnataka High Court for granting bail to Darshan, calling the move a perverse use of discretionary power. Ramya then wrote on X, “SC is a ray of hope for the common people of India- justice for the family of Renukaswamy”.

Following the post, the Darshan fanbase allegedly sent Ramya death and rape threats. 

On 27 July, the actor shared screenshots of some of the posts on her Instagram page, saying, "There is no difference between the Renukaswammy’s messages and the DBoss fan messages. It is because of trolls with a misogynistic mindset that women and young girls are subjected to harassment, rape, and murder."

Ramya said the abuse included "very sexual and vulgar messages".

"The trolling was so bad that I started to think if the situation is like this for me (a star), what would it be like for normal girls," she said after filing the complaint.

Ramya said celebrities must lead by example. "Tell your fans not to send vulgar or obscene messages," she insisted.

State Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the police will take necessary action.  Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Women’s Commission urged the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to take action against the surge of online abuse directed at women.