Supreme Court to Review Controversial Bail in Renukaswamy Murder Case

The Supreme Court declined to cancel bail for Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa and others in the Renukaswamy murder case, opting to review the Karnataka government's challenge. Concerns are rising that other accused might exploit the high court's decision, prompting notice issuance to relevant parties.

The Supreme Court on Friday refrained from canceling the bail granted to Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa and others in the Renukaswamy murder case, though it agreed to hear the Karnataka government's appeal. Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan's bench issued a notice to the accused following the state's objection to the Karnataka High Court's bail decision.

The state government warned that co-accused individuals might leverage the high court ruling. However, the apex court stated that staying the order would effectively cancel the bail, an action it is yet to take. The court added that future bail applications must be independently assessed.

Actor Darshan was initially arrested in June 2024 for the alleged orchestrated attack on his fan, Renukaswamy, following offensive social media comments about Pavithra Gowda. After his interim bail on medical grounds, the high court granted regular bail in December 2024, prompting state authorities to escalate the matter to the top court.

(With inputs from agencies.)