New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in the Renukaswamy murder case. The apex court also issued a stern warning against providing any preferential treatment to the Kannada actor in jail. The court also observed that the previous Karnataka High Court order that had given relief to the actor “suffers from serious legal infirmities.”
Earlier, the HC had granted bail to Darshan, and co-accused Pradoosh Rao, Jagadish alias Jaggu, Anu Kumar, Lakshman M, and Nagaraju K on December 13, 2024. They were all arrested for the June murder of Renukaswamy, a fan.
“We considered everything, the grant of bail as well as cancellation. It is evident that the order of the High Court suffers from serious legal infirmities. The order fails to record any special or cogent reasons for granting bail under sections 302 and 34 IPC. Instead, it reflects a mechanical exercise of discretion formed by significant omission of legally relevant facts,” a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan observed.
The court observed that any five-star treatment to the actor in prison, facilitated by the authorities would invite immediate suspension and strict action.
A bench of the apex court, while hearing the matter, directed that all accused in the case must be treated as ordinary prisoners. “If five-star treatment is given, the jail superintendent will be suspended,” the court said in sharp remarks aimed at preventing any violation of prison norms.
The observation comes amid allegations that Darshan received VIP treatment while in custody. Earlier this year, videos and photos showing the actor allegedly enjoying special facilities inside Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Jail triggered a major controversy. In the wake of the row, the Karnataka government suspended several prison officials, including senior officers, for facilitating the privilege.
Investigations had revealed that unauthorized items, including cigarettes and mobile phones, were allegedly made available to the accused inside the jail. The state home department had indicated that charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act could also be invoked against the erring officials.