Supreme Court Cancels Kannada Actor Darshan’s Bail in Renukaswamy Murder Case, Orders Immediate Arrest
The Supreme Court has cancelled Kannada actor Darshan’s bail in the Renukaswamy murder case, ordering his immediate arrest after hearing shocking details of the victim’s torture and killing.
Kannada actor Darshan outside court in Bengaluru. The Supreme Court has revoked his bail in the Renukaswamy murder case.
In a major setback for Kannada film star Darshan, the Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to him by the Karnataka High Court in the sensational Renukaswamy murder case and ordered his immediate arrest.
The apex court was hearing the Karnataka government’s plea challenging the High Court’s December 13, 2024 order, which had granted bail to Darshan and several co-accused.
Case Background
Darshan, along with 16 others, is accused of abducting, torturing, and murdering 33-year-old fan S. Renukaswamy in June 2024. Police allege the killing was carried out after Renukaswamy sent obscene messages to Darshan’s girlfriend, actress Pavithra Gowda.
Investigations revealed that the victim was allegedly confined in a Bengaluru shed for three days, brutally assaulted, and later found dead in a drain.
Gruesome Details Emerge in Court
Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar told the bench that photographs showed the victim begging for mercy. Witness statements claimed that Darshan’s staff members — Dhanraj, Nandish, and Pavan — assaulted Renukaswamy for about 10 minutes, with Dhanraj administering electric shocks.
The postmortem report listed 39 external injuries, a rib fracture, deep head wounds, a torn ear, multiple electric burns, a broken chest bone, and severe genital injuries that ultimately caused the victim’s death.
Next Steps
The Supreme Court’s ruling comes after it issued notices to Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and others earlier this year. With the bail now revoked, police have been directed to arrest the actor immediately.
