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HC adjourns Darshan’s bail plea hearing to October 28
During a session on Tuesday before justice Vishwajit Shetty, Darshan’s lawyer, BV Nagesh, sought bail on medical grounds, highlighting the actor’s need for urgent medical treatment, including potential surgery
The Karnataka high court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa’s bail application to October 28 in the Renukaswamy murder case.
During a session on Tuesday before justice Vishwajit Shetty, Darshan’s lawyer, BV Nagesh, sought bail on medical grounds, highlighting the actor’s need for urgent medical treatment, including potential surgery.
Nagesh argued that Darshan required immediate surgery for L1 and L5 back pain, as diagnosed by doctors at Bengaluru’s VIMS Hospital. He urged the court to grant bail so the actor could undergo necessary medical procedures. Justice Shetty responded by instructing Darshan’s legal team to present medical reports and adjourned the hearing to October 28.
Besides, the court also asked for a detailed medical report from the prison authorities on Darshan’s health condition. Special public prosecutor Prasanna Kumar was asked to file objections to the bail plea. The actor has been in custody since June 11 and previously had his bail application rejected by the trial court, prompting this appeal.
The legal trouble surrounding Darshan stems from a murder case involving the alleged abduction and death of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga. According to the prosecution, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, was tortured and killed after being abducted by the actor and his associates. He was reportedly held in a shed in Pattanagere, where he suffered brutal physical abuse before his body was found dumped in a drain at Sumanahalli.
The investigation into Renukaswamy’s death revealed that he had used a fake Instagram account under the name “Gowtham” to interact with Pavithra Gowda, who was in a relationship with Darshan. This interaction allegedly led to derogatory messages, which prosecutors claim triggered the violent response from Darshan and his associates.
A 3,991-page charge sheet submitted to the 24th additional chief metropolitan magistrate’s court on September 4 detailed the alleged torture, including electric shocks, that Renukaswamy endured before dying from shock and haemorrhage. The document serves as the foundation for the prosecution’s case against Darshan and his 15 associates, who were arrested in June.
The actor’s co-accused, Gowda, remains incarcerated at Bengaluru Central Prison, while Darshan was moved to Ballari following the circulation of photographs showing him smoking and drinking coffee inside the Bengaluru facility. Out of the 17 accused people, three have been granted bail so far.
