Today, On 13th December, The Karnataka High Court granted bail to Darshan and Pavithra Gowda in the Renukaswamy murder case. Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old auto driver, was found dead on June 9, with reports indicating that his death resulted from injuries inflicted during an attack allegedly ordered by Darshan. The court’s decision allows both accused individuals to be released while the trial continues.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court granted bail on Friday to Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda, who are the main accused in the Renukaswamy murder case.
Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty also approved bail for five other individuals involved in the case.
Justice Shetty reserved judgment on the bail applications submitted by Darshan and his co-accused on December 9.
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The body of 33-year-old auto driver Renukaswamy discovered on June 9, with allegations suggesting he died from injuries inflicted during an attack that was allegedly ordered by Darshan.
Reports indicate that Darshan had called on his fans to confront and abduct Renukaswamy due to derogatory comments made about Gowda on social media. Darshan was arrested on June 11, and on October 30, Justice Shetty granted him interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds.
During the proceedings, Senior Counsel C.V. Nagesh, representing Darshan, claimed that the actor was being falsely implicated and that the prosecution had “planted evidence” against him. Gowda’s attorney asserted that she was unaware of any conspiracy to kill Renukaswamy.
Senior Counsel Aruna Shyam, representing co-accused Lakshman M, argued that there were significant shortcomings in the prosecution’s case, including unexplained delays in recording witness statements and conducting the post-mortem and inquest.
The bail application faced opposition from Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar, who argued that Renukaswamy’s murder constituted a “clear case of Section 302 of the IPC (murder)” rather than a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
He detailed that the deceased had suffered “39 serious injuries” and “17 fractures” to his ribs, with blood found “oozing out of his testicles.”
Kumar further asserted that the prosecution’s case was supported by substantial evidence, including “digital footprints, FSL reports, and witness statements,” which placed Darshan and his co-accused at the crime scene.
Darshan apprehended on June 11 for his alleged involvement in the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, had reportedly sent inappropriate messages to Darshan’s co-star and friend, Pavithra Gowda, who also arrested in connection with the case.
The messages allegedly infuriated the actor, leading him to enlist a member of his fan club to carry out the murder, according to sources.
Sources further revealed that Raghavendra, a member of Darshan’s fan club, enticed Renukaswamy to a shed in RR Nagar under the guise of arranging a meeting with the actor. It was there that Renukaswamy allegedly tortured and killed.
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Several of the accused, while in police custody, have confessed that Darshan paid Rs 30 lakh to have Renukaswamy killed, dispose of the body, and destroy evidence. They also reportedly compensated to surrender and take the blame for the murder, according to the investigation report.
The autopsy revealed that Renukaswamy suffered a brutal attack with wooden clubs, leading to his death “due to shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple blunt injuries.” The post-mortem also noted that Renukaswamy was kicked, causing a ruptured testicle.
Additionally, the autopsy indicated that Renukaswamy was subjected to electric shocks before his death. Details of this alleged torture emerged during the interrogation of an accomplice, according to sources.
Seventeen individuals stand accused in this murder case.
Police seized slippers, clothing, materials, and various documents related to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who also implicated in the murder, from Pavithra’s residence. It is alleged that Dhanaraj, also known as Raja, a member of Darshan’s group and the ninth accused in the case, administered electric shocks to Renukaswamy. The police recovered an ‘Electric Shock Torch’ from Dhanaraj’s home.