The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, accused in the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, on medical grounds. Justice S Vishwajith Shetty permitted Darshan a six-week bail period to undergo spine surgery and treatment.
The court’s decision followed a review of medical reports submitted in a sealed cover from Ballari Central Prison, where Darshan has been held since his arrest on June 11, and from the Neurology Department at a government hospital in Ballari. The actor’s legal counsel, senior advocate CV Nagesh, and State Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar presented detailed arguments on Tuesday, with the High Court reserving its decision until Wednesday.
Initially, Darshan’s bail application was rejected by a sessions court in September. Following this, he petitioned the High Court, seeking interim bail for medical treatment.
The case centers around the alleged murder of Renukaswamy, whose body was found near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli, Bengaluru, on June 9. According to police, Renukaswamy, reportedly a fan of Darshan, had sent inappropriate messages to Darshan’s friend, Pavithra Gowda, a co-accused in the case. This allegedly angered Darshan and led to the events that followed.
Police reports allege that Raghavendra, another accused and a fan club member of Darshan’s, brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R. R. Nagar, where he was reportedly tortured and murdered. The post-mortem report cites shock and hemorrhage from multiple blunt injuries as the cause of death.
Investigators have alleged that Pavithra played a key role in instigating the crime.