Renukaswamy murder: Karnataka high court grants interim bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa

The Karnataka high court on Wednesday granted interim bail for six weeks to jailed actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, accused in the Renukaswamy murder case.

Single-judge Justice S Vishwajith Shetty allowed the interim bail application filed by Darshan Thoogudeepa to enable him to undergo a surgery.

Justice S Vishwajith Shetty had reserved the order on Tuesday on the interim bail application after hearing detailed arguments from the actor’s legal representative, senior advocate CV Nagesh, and state public prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar.

The state presented medical reports in a sealed cover from doctors at Ballari Central Prison, where Darshan Thoogudeepa is lodged, and the head of the department of neurology at a government hospital in Ballari.

What happened to Darshan Thoogudeepa?

Nagesh claimed that Darshan Thoogudeepa is experiencing numbness in both feet and requested permission for his surgery to be performed at a private hospital in Mysuru, with the actor covering all associated costs.

The interim bail request was opposed by the prosecutor, who said that the medical documents lacked specifics on how many days Darshan would need to be hospitalised. Kumar also argued that the surgery could be performed at a government hospital.

The court referred to Supreme Court precedents mentioned by Nagesh, pointing out that the State does not have the authority to dictate where an undertrial may receive medical treatment.

However, the court questioned Nagesh on the choice of Mysuru for the surgery. “Why Mysuru? Let a doctor in Bengaluru examine you and provide an assessment of the surgery’s urgency and duration. Interim bail is time-limited, and we need to understand how long you would be hospitalised,” Justice Shetty stated.

Nagesh reiterated his request for the operation to be done at the Mysuru facility, while Kumar suggested that Darshan Thoogudeepa, who was arrested on June 11, undergo a health evaluation by a state-appointed medical board.

Darshan Thoogudeepa’s bail application, submitted on September 21, was rejected by a sessions court. Following this, he petitioned the high court and requested interim bail to receive treatment.

Renukaswamy murder

The police said 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, had sent obscene messages to his friend Pavithra Gowda (a co-accused in the case), which enraged the Kannada actor, allegedly leading to his murder.

Renukaswamy’s body was found near a storm water drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli on June nine.

Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan’s fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar in Bengaluru, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered.

According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and hemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.

Police have said Pavithra, who is accused number one, was the “major cause” for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime.