Karnataka HC Grants Interim Bail to Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa for Spine Surgery

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 30th Oct. The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa due to medical grounds, allowing him to undergo necessary spine surgery. The 47-year-old actor, who was arrested on June 11, is currently incarcerated at Ballari prison.

Darshan is one of the accused in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case, alongside his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others. While Pavithra is detained in a Bengaluru prison, the other co-accused are spread across various jails in the state, with some having recently secured bail.

Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty, presiding over the case, approved Darshan’s interim bail for six weeks specifically for medical treatment. The court imposed several conditions, including the surrender of his passport to the trial court and an order prohibiting him from tampering with evidence. Darshan is allowed to choose the hospital for his treatment and must provide the court with a health report detailing his condition, required treatment, and follow-up care within a week.

The court’s decision followed detailed arguments presented by Darshan’s legal representative, senior advocate C.V. Nagesh, alongside the state public prosecutor, P. Prasanna Kumar. During the hearing, the state submitted medical reports in a sealed cover from doctors at Ballari Central Prison and the Head of the Department of Neurology at a government hospital in Ballari.

Darshan’s initial bail application, submitted on September 21, had been denied by a sessions court, prompting him to appeal to the High Court.

The murder case revolves around the victim, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, who was reportedly a fan of Darshan. Allegedly, after sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, Darshan’s friend, tensions escalated, leading to Renukaswamy’s murder. His body was discovered near a stormwater drain adjacent to an apartment in Sumanahalli on June 9.

According to police investigations, Raghavendra, a member of Darshan’s fan club from Chitradurga, lured Renukaswamy to a shed in R. R. Nagar under the pretense that the actor wanted to meet him. It was there that he was purportedly tortured and ultimately murdered. The post-mortem report indicated that Renukaswamy died from shock and hemorrhage due to multiple blunt force injuries. Authorities have identified Pavithra as the primary instigator in the murder, asserting that she conspired with the other accused and played a pivotal role in the crime.