Darshan (first from right) can be seen sipping coffee and smoking cigarette inside Bengaluru Central Prison during his stay
Back to jail: Supreme Court cancels bail of Kannada actor Darshan in Renukaswamy murder case
New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Thursday revoked the regular bail granted to Kannada film star Darshan in connection with the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case, ordering that he be lodged in prison in Karnataka.
The decision came after the Karnataka government moved the apex court challenging the Karnataka High Court’s order granting the actor bail. A bench observed that the High Court’s order “suffers from serious infirmities,” as reported by Live Law.
Darshan, along with actress Pavithra Gowda and several others, faces charges of abducting and torturing 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan accused of sending obscene messages to Gowda. According to police, the victim was confined in a shed in Bengaluru for three days in June 2024 before being killed, and his body was later found in a drain.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan said the High Court had improperly examined witness statements — a task reserved for the trial court — before granting bail. “There is no legal reason to grant bail,” the bench observed, warning that Darshan’s freedom risked “derailing the administration of justice.”
Justice Pardiwala stressed that “no man is above the law” and that jail authorities must avoid giving the actor preferential treatment. “If we learn that the accused are receiving five-star treatment, we will suspend the jail superintendent,” he warned, explicitly prohibiting smoking or drinking privileges in prison.
The court directed that Darshan be taken into custody “expeditiously” and reminded that “in democracy, all persons are subject to equal access to law.” It cited the serious allegations, coupled with forensic evidence, as justification for cancelling bail, exercising what it called its “extraordinary jurisdiction.”
Darshan, currently in Tamil Nadu, will be arrested once Bengaluru Police secure a fresh warrant from the trial court.
The ruling marks a significant development in the sensational case, which has drawn intense public and media attention in Karnataka and beyond.
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