The Karnataka High Court is set to announce its decision today regarding the interim bail plea filed by actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is currently imprisoned in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy.
BAIL PLEA ON MEDICAL GROUNDS
The court reserved its order on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both the actor’s legal team and the state prosecution. Darshan, who was named in the chargesheet for his alleged involvement in the case, sought bail on medical grounds to undergo spine surgery. His legal counsel presented medical reports indicating that Darshan was experiencing numbness in both feet, requesting permission for surgery at a private facility in Mysuru, which he would finance.
The state prosecutor opposed the bail request, arguing that the medical documents did not specify the required duration of hospitalisation and suggested that the procedure could be conducted at a government hospital instead.
Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, while referencing Supreme Court precedents, pointed out that the state cannot dictate where an undertrial receives medical treatment but questioned the necessity of choosing Mysuru for the procedure. “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,” he noted.
This plea follows Darshan’s previous bail application rejection by a sessions court on September 21. Darshan was moved to Bellary Jail following the emergence of a controversial photo with a known rowdy-sheeter, prompting the suspension of seven prison officials in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.
RENUKASWAMY CASE
The murder case stems from an alleged dispute over inappropriate messages sent by Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan’s, to co-accused Pavithra Gowda, a friend of the actor. According to police, this led Darshan to allegedly orchestrate an attack on Renukaswamy, whose body was later found near a storm drain in Sumanahalli on June 9. Another accused, Raghavendra, reportedly lured Renukaswamy to a shed in R.R. Nagar on the pretence that Darshan wished to meet him, where he was allegedly tortured and killed. The post-mortem report concluded that Renukaswamy died from shock and haemorrhage caused by multiple blunt injuries.