Bengaluru:Actor Darshan, arrested in Renukasawamy murder case earlier this year, was granted interim bail on medical grounds by the Karnataka High Court for six weeks on Wednesday.
Darshan was arrested on June 11 for his alleged involvement in torturing and murdering Renukaswamy, one of his fans who had allegedly sent obscene messages to the actor's friend Pavithra Gowda, a co-accused in the case.
The High Court has imposed conditions on actor Darshan that he can be admitted to any hospital of his choice. The details of the treatment should be submitted to the court in the next one week. The actor has been asked to surrender his passport and ensure no attempt is made to destroy any evidence or threaten witnesses.
On Tuesday, Justice Shetty had reserved the order on the interim bail application after hearing detailed arguments from the actor’s legal representative, senior advocate C V Nagesh, and State Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar.
The State presented medical reports in a sealed cover from doctors at Ballari Central Prison, where Darshan is lodged, and the Head of the Department of Neurology at a government hospital in Ballari.
Nagesh claimed that Darshan is experiencing numbness in both feet and requested permission for his surgery to be performed at a private hospital in Mysuru, with the actor covering all associated costs.
The interim bail request was opposed by the Prosecutor, who said that the medical documents lacked specifics on how many days Darshan would need to be hospitalised. Kumar also argued that the surgery could be performed at a government hospital.
The court referred to Supreme Court precedents mentioned by Nagesh, pointing out that the State does not have the authority to dictate where an undertrial may receive medical treatment.
However, the court questioned Nagesh on the choice of Mysuru for the surgery. “Why Mysuru? Let a doctor in Bengaluru examine you and provide an assessment of the surgery’s urgency and duration. Interim bail is time-limited, and we need to understand how long you would be hospitalised,” Justice Shetty stated.
Nagesh reiterated his request for the operation to be done at the Mysuru facility, while Kumar suggested that Darshan undergo a health evaluation by a state-appointed medical board.
Darshan's bail application, submitted on September 21, was rejected by a sessions court. Following this, he petitioned the High Court and requested interim bail to receive treatment.
How was the crime committed?
According to police, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to his friend Pavithra Gowda (a co-accused in the case), which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.
Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered. According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries.
Police have said Pavithra, who is accused number one, was the "major cause" for Renukaswamy’s murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime. (Agency inputs)
