The Supreme Court on Thursday, July 24, reserved its order on Karnataka government’s plea to cancel bail granted by the Karnataka High Court to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in the Renukaswamy murder case, and observed that the approach of the court was “troubling”. The order was also criticised as “perverse exercise of judicial power”.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan reserved the order after hearing arguments from both sides. The top court asked the lawyers appearing for some of the accused to file written submissions in a week’s time.
The bench was hearing the state government’s plea challenging the High Court’s December 13, 2024 order that granted bail to Darshan and the other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. Also Read | Renukaswamy Murder Case: New photos of Darshan’s shirtless fan pleading for life surface online
Speaking of the high court’s bail order on Darshan Thoogudeepa and others, the Supreme Court said, “In a lighter vein, don’t you think the High Court has basically dictated an order acquittal of all seven? There are ways and ways of assigning reasons.”
“What is troubling us is the approach of the High Court! Look at the manner in which bail application is [dealt] and in the last, and says he says grounds of arrest not assigned in 302 matter?!That is the understanding of the learned judge? And that too from the High Court? We can understand a session judge committing such mistakes. A High Court judge committing such a mistake?” the court said, Live Law reported.
Darshan Thoogudeepa, actress Pavithra Gowda and several others are accused of abducting and torturing 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan who allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra. The allegations against actor Darshan and others are that Renukaswamy was held for three days and tortured. His body was recovered from a drain.
The top court on January 24 issued the notices to the actor, Pavithra Gowda, and others in the case on the plea of the state government.
