NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: In a big setback to Kannada filmstar Darshan in the Renukaswamy murder case, Supreme Court Thursday cancelled the actor’s bail, ordered his re-arrest and speedy trial in the case, while warning the state govt against allowing any five-star treatment to the accused in jail.About five hours after the verdict came in, the actor was taken into custody along with his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda and five other accused, whose bail was similarly revoked by the top court. With two of the accused in transit from Chitradurga, Darshan, Pavithra and three others were remanded in judicial custody and sent to Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara Thursday night.Observing that persons regardless of popularity are equal before the law, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan set aside the Karnataka HC order of Dec 13, 2024, saying it suffers from “various infirmities”. “It reflects a mechanical exercise. Moreover, the high court undertook examination at the pre-trial stage,” the bench said.Justice Pardiwala said the bail-cancellation judgement conveys a message that however big the accused may be, he or she is not above the law.
Five-star treatment? Face the music, SC tells govt
The top court cautioned the state govt against providing special treatment to the accused in jail. “The day we come to know the accused persons are being provided five-star treatment, the first step would be to place the superintendent into suspension along with all other officials,” the court said, adding the HC committed a “manifest perversity” in the exercise of its discretion, warranting cancellation of bail.The top court said popularity cannot be a shield for impunity, nor influence, resources and social status be the basis for grant of bail, adding evidence in the case indicates a premeditated and orchestrated crime, where the accused allegedly took the law into his own handsand engaged in systematic destruction of evidence.“The bail order was granted primarily on the basis of the alleged urgent medical condition of the actor. However, a bare perusal reveals the plea was misleading, vague and grossly exaggerated. This establishes he abused the liberty of bail,” Justice Mahadevan, who penned the judgment for the bench, said.All seven arrested — including Nagaraju R, Lakshman M, Jagadeesh alias Jagga, Pradosh S Rao, and Anu Kumar — were taken to Annapoorneshwarinagar police station in west Bengaluru late Thursday. They were produced before the magistrate at his official residence in Koramangala and remanded in judicial custody.S Vishwajith Shetty of the high court granted the bail in Dec, citing delays in recording the statements of the witness and not furnishing the details of their arrest.After he came out of jail on regular bail, Darshan started participating in film-related events and acted in his next movie, which was shot in Dubai and Thailand.Arrested within hours of verdictSources said Bengaluru city police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh formed multiple teams, fanned them out across the city to arrest the accused within hours of the SC verdict.While Pavithra was arrested from Rajarajeshwarinagar, Darshan was picked up from an apartment in Hosakerehalli, Banashankari III Stage, around 4.15pm.
