Karnataka High Court grants Darshan Thoogudeepa six weeks of bail for medical surgery amid murder charges

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has been granted six weeks of interim bail by the Karnataka High Court in connection with the alleged murder of fan Renukaswamy. Darshan has been in custody since June 2024, facing serious charges that have kept him behind bars despite multiple attempts to secure bail.

According to a report by the Deccan Herald, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday approved Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty's bail request, allowing him to undergo necessary spine surgery. The court had previously instructed authorities to provide a medical examination report, which indicated that the actor might need physiotherapy or surgery for his back issues.

Darshan was recently hospitalized at the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Bellary after complaining of severe back pain. He was taken to the hospital under tight security, where doctors conducted an MRI scan to diagnose his condition. Following the examination, he returned to Ballari prison, where he has been held since late August after being transferred from Bengaluru.

In addition to his bail application for medical reasons, Darshan has filed another application seeking regular bail, challenging the trial court's earlier decision to deny him bail. This application is still pending before the High Court.

For the unversed, Darshan has been accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of a 33-year-old Renukaswamy. The incident reportedly occurred after Renukaswamy sent offensive messages to Pavithra Gowda, who is rumored to be Darshan's girlfriend.

Following these messages, it is alleged that Darshan and his associates lured Renukaswamy to a sheltered location where he was brutally assaulted and ultimately killed. The post-mortem report indicated that Renukaswamy died from shock and hemorrhage due to multiple blunt injuries.