Renukaswamy Murder Case: Karnataka High Court Grants Bail To Actor Darshan, Pavithra Gowda

The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to Kannada superstar Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case.

The bench, headed by Justice Vishwajith Shetty, also granted bail to accused Nagaraju, Anukumar, M. Laxman, Jagadish and Pradoosh Rao. Senior counsel C. V. Nagesh represented Darshan and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) P. Prasanna Kumar made submissions for the prosecution.

Gowda's advocate Shilpa said bail was granted to her based on arguments questioning her involvement in the case. Gowda, presently lodged in the Central Prison of the Parappana Agrahara, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, will be released on Monday.

During arguments on the regular bail plea, C. V. Nagesh had countered the objections raised by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), stating that although Renukaswamy's body reportedly had 39 blood stains, there was only one bleeding injury. Nagesh asserted that at every stage, from recording eyewitness statements to conducting the investigation, the prosecution "lied".

"The bail was granted based on a report by doctors from Ballari. The doctors at BGS Hospital also accepted the Ballari doctors' report, confirming the need for surgery of the actor," he said.

"We must proceed with the operation as recommended by the doctors. It cannot be done on demand after three or four weeks," he argued.

Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar submitted to the Karnataka High Court that Darshan was "misusing" the interim bail granted to him on medical grounds.

Submitting his objections to the court for granting the regular bail, Prasanna Kumar said that the interim bail was taken citing urgency and the court was told that he was likely to suffer a stroke. Prasanna Kumar further said that in the case of Darshan, dramatic situations are created.

Recently, the court had extended Darshan's interim bail on medical grounds. Darshan was released from prison on October 30 on interim bail after spending 131 days in jail. Darshan, admitted to the BGS Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru, was being treated for severe back pain.

Darshan, his partner Gowda and 15 others were arrested on June 11 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering his fan Renukaswamy from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda as he was miffed with the actor having a relationship with her despite being married.