The apex court set aside the Karnataka High Court’s bail order, declaring that “no man was above the law” and citing a risk of witness intimidation.
August 14, 2025: In a big turn of events in the shocking Renukaswamy murder case, the Supreme Court of India canceled Kannada star Darshan Thogudeepa’s bail on Thursday. The Karnataka government appealed the state High Court’s bail order, and a bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan made the decision.
The Supreme Court called the case “serious” and said that letting the defendant out on bond would certainly put pressure on witnesses, which would affect the trial. The bench was quite unhappy with the Karnataka High Court’s earlier decision, saying that the order “suffers from perversity” and was a “mechanical exercise of power.”
On June 11, 2024, Darshan, his live-in lover and actress Pavithra Gowda, and a few other people were arrested for killing Renukaswamy. The chargesheet said that the victim, who was a fan of Gowda, had sent her dirty texts, which made Darshan angry. Later, the actor admitted to having Renukaswamy kidnapped and tortured, beating and kicking him until his body was found in a Bengaluru drain on June 8.
The Supreme Court also heard reports that Darshan was getting “5-star treatment” while in jail. They warned that any authorities discovered to be offering such services would be suspended right away. The Bengaluru Police are getting ready to arrest the actor again after the ruling. He had been released on bail till December 13, 2024.