Supreme Court refuses to cancel Darshan Thoogudeepa’s bail amid Renukaswamy murder case

The Karnataka State Government's attempt to challenge the bail granted to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and others involved in the Renukaswamy murder case, has been denied by the Supreme Court of India. On January 24, 2025, the apex court upheld the High Court's decision, stating that it would not cancel the bail order but would review the state's appeal against it.

As per a The Hindu report, the Supreme Court hearing, led by Justice J.B. Pardiwala, decided against issuing a stay on the bail granted to Darshan and his co-accused, including Pavithra Gowda. The court stated that canceling the bail at this stage would be inappropriate. However, it assured the Karnataka government that it would examine their challenge and issued a notice to Darshan and the others involved.

The state government, represented by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, expressed concerns that the High Court had "whitewashed" the case against Darshan and his co-accused. They argued that allowing the bail could set a precedent for other accused individuals in similar cases. In response, the Supreme Court clarified that if any co-accused seeks bail in the future, the court should not rely on the current order and must evaluate each application based on its own merits.

Darshan was arrested on June 11, 2024, following allegations of his involvement in the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. As per the reports, the victim made derogatory comments about Pavithra Gowda, who was allegedly in a relationship with Darshan. The comments suggested Pavithra destroying Darshan's marriage. This seemed to not sit well with Darshan and led to a violent confrontation. The victim's body was discovered shortly after he was attacked.