Darshan Thoogudeepa Seeks 25-Day Dubai-Europe Trip for Devil Shooting; SPP Warns He May Not Return

Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has filed a petition seeking permission to travel abroad for the shooting of his upcoming film Devil. The application requests court approval to travel to Dubai and Europe from June 1 to June 25-a 25-day international schedule.

The petition was filed under Section 439(1)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which allows a person out on bail to apply for permission to leave the country. Notably, while granting Darshan bail earlier, the High Court had imposed a condition preventing him from leaving Bengaluru. This condition was later relaxed, allowing him to travel across India, reportedly for film-related work.

Now, citing a similar reason, Darshan has approached the court again to lift restrictions and allow overseas travel. The petition, filed by advocate Sunil Kumar on behalf of accused number two (A2) Darshan, will be heard today in the 57th City Civil and Sessions Court (CCH).

The request to travel comes in response to a shooting schedule planned by Jaimata Productions, with the film's producer requesting permission to shoot abroad.

However, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) has raised strong objections to the request. Based on inputs from the investigating officer in the Renukaswamy murder case, the SPP submitted that Darshan's travel could jeopardize the ongoing trial. It was argued that if allowed to leave the country, there is a possibility that Darshan may not return and could influence witnesses.

Adding to the complexity, an application seeking the cancellation of Darshan's bail is currently pending before the Supreme Court. The SPP has emphasized that allowing him to travel abroad at this stage would be inappropriate.

The court is set to hear arguments from both Darshan's legal team and the prosecution today.