Supreme Court Cancels Darshan's Bail In Renukaswamy Murder Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to seven individuals, including popular Kannada actor Darshan (accused A2) and Pavithra Gowda (accused A1), in the Renukaswamy murder case.

A bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and JB Pardiwala quashed the interim bail granted to Darshan by the Karnataka HC, stating that it granted the same without adequate consideration of the witness intimidation and other illegalities.

The case reached the apex court after the Karnataka state government challenged a Karnataka High Court order that had previously granted the accused conditional bail. The government lawyers presented arguments urging the court to revoke the bail, citing the brutal nature of the crime. After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense, the Supreme Court had reserved its judgment.

A court observed that the High Court had granted bail in a "mechanical manner," declaring that its order suffered from "perversity."

"Justice Mahadevan has pronounced a very erudite judgment. It is ineffable. It conveys a message that however big the accused may be, he or she is not above the law. It contains a strong message that the justice delivery system at any level should ensure at any cost that rule of law is maintained. No man is above law or below it. Nor do we ask anyone's permission when we obey it. the need of the hour is to maintain rule of law at all times," Bar and Bench quoted Justice Pardiwala as saying.

No 5-Star Treatment To Darshan

The Bench issued a stern warning against any preferential treatment being extended to the accused while in judicial custody.

"The day we come to know that the accused persons are being provided 5-star treatment, the first step would be to place the superintendent into suspension along with all other officials,"* the Court cautioned.

It may be recalled that a leaked photo had shown Darshan smoking a cigarette with undertrial prisoners at Bengaluru prison. This had created a major controversy and forced the government to shift him to Bellary jail.

During the July 24 hearing, the Bench had questioned the State regarding corroborative evidence supporting the statements of two eyewitnesses implicating Darshan in the crime. The Court also expressed serious concerns over the High Court's exercise of discretion in granting bail to the accused.

On July 17, the Supreme Court had orally observed that it was "not at all convinced" with the manner in which the Karnataka High Court granted bail to Darshan. The Bench had further directed Darshan's counsel to provide compelling reasons as to why the apex court should not interfere with the High Court's order.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others are charged with the murder of Renuka Swamy.

As per the chargesheet, the victim was allegedly kidnapped by Darshan's associates due to his lewd messages directed at Gowda. Following the abduction, he was taken to Bengaluru, confined in a shed in Kamakshi Palya, and subjected to a brutal assault, ultimately leading to his death.

Darshan and Pavithra were arrested by Bengaluru police on June 11, 2024.