Supreme Court Cancels Kannada Actor Darshan’s Bail in Renukaswamy Murder Case

August 14, 2025

Arrest After Bail Cancellation

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case shortly after the Supreme Court of India cancelled his interim bail on Thursday. Following his arrest, he was taken to Annapoorneshwarinagar police station and will be produced before the court. Visuals from the scene showed Darshan being escorted in a police van under heavy security.

Along with Darshan, four others were also arrested — Kannada actor Pavithra Gowda, and individuals identified as Lakshman, Pradosh, and Nagaraj.

SC Criticism of High Court’s Bail Order

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan quashed the interim bail earlier granted by the Karnataka High Court, stating that the HC had failed to follow proper legal principles in granting bail in a murder case.

The Court observed that the High Court had:

Overlooked serious evidence presented by the prosecution.
Relied on inadequate grounds, such as the mere filing of a chargesheet or the possibility of trial delays.
Ignored allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and misuse of influence.

Allegations Against Darshan

The Supreme Court noted multiple serious allegations against Darshan, including:

Arranging false surrenders by co-accused persons.
Making payments to conceal the crime.
Leveraging police connections to manipulate the FIR and post-mortem process.
Deletion of CCTV footage from another accused’s residence.
Using his celebrity status to influence prosecution witnesses.

The Court further pointed out that while the HC noted Darshan was not physically present at the crime scene, it also acknowledged he was in telephonic contact with other accused at crucial times.

Court’s Stand on Celebrity Privilege

In its strongly worded observations, the Supreme Court stated:

Popularity cannot be a shield for impunity.
Influence, resources, and social status should not form the basis for bail where there is a risk to investigation or trial.
Celebrities, as public role models, have greater accountability, not lesser.
Granting leniency despite grave charges of conspiracy and murder sends the wrong message to society.

The bench also warned jail authorities against providing Darshan and other accused with special or “five-star” treatment in prison, stating that any such incident would lead to the immediate suspension of the jail superintendent and involved officials.

Case Background

The Renukaswamy murder case involves the killing of a 33-year-old resident of Chitradurga, whose remains were found in Kamakshipalya, Bengaluru, on June 9, 2024.

In October 2024, the Karnataka High Court had granted Darshan six weeks of interim bail, a decision that the Karnataka government challenged in the Supreme Court.

The prosecution and the state government argued that granting bail to Darshan would hamper the investigation, given his influence and ability to derail the trial process.

Conclusion

With the Supreme Court’s cancellation of Darshan’s bail, the case is set to proceed under close judicial scrutiny. The Court’s remarks underline the principle that no one, regardless of fame or power, is above the law — and that the integrity of the justice system must prevail over celebrity status.