Bengaluru: Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested on Thursday after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case. His arrest followed the detention of Pavithra Gowda, the prime accused, earlier in the day.
According to police sources, Darshan was apprehended from his wife Vijayalakshmi’s residence in Hosakerehalli. Officials said the actor had been planning to surrender in court, but police moved swiftly after receiving information about his whereabouts. Three more accused were arrested along with Darshan, bringing the total number of accused in the case to 17.
After a medical examination, the accused were produced before a sessions court, which remanded them to judicial custody. They were subsequently lodged at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara central prison.
The Supreme Court, while cancelling bail, issued a stern warning to the Karnataka government against offering VIP treatment to the accused in jail. It cautioned that any such instance would lead to the immediate suspension of the prison superintendent and other officials involved.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said he had directed the Director General of Prisons to strictly comply with the apex court’s order, stressing that “no one is above the law” and that the accused could continue their legal fight through proper judicial channels.
The court’s decision came on the state government’s appeal against the Karnataka High Court’s December 13, 2024, order granting bail to Darshan and others. In its observations, the apex court noted that ‘A2’ (Darshan) is not an ordinary undertrial but a celebrity with mass following, political influence, and financial power, and has a track record of misusing prison facilities.
The case stems from the alleged murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, who had sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda. Police allege that he was lured to a shed in RR Nagar on the pretext of meeting Darshan, where he was tortured and killed. Investigators claim Gowda instigated and conspired in the crime, which has shocked Karnataka’s film industry and fans alike.
