The Karnataka High Court has rejected a plea to revoke the bail of five accused individuals in the high-profile fan murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan and actress Pavithra Gowda. The accused, namely Pavan, Dhanaraju, Vinay, Raghavendra, and Nandish, were granted relief by the court. The prosecution’s argument that the accused could influence witnesses and tamper with evidence if out on bail was dismissed by the High Court due to insufficient grounds provided.
The court highlighted that the prosecution failed to present compelling reasons for the cancellation of bail. Earlier, the Supreme Court had revoked bail for seven accused, including Darshan, in the same case. The five accused who were granted bail by the High Court were alleged to have played various roles in the crime. Raghavendra, the President of the Chitradurga Darshan Fans’ Club, was accused of luring the victim to Bengaluru, while Pavan and Vinay were said to have assisted in the kidnapping and disposal of evidence.
Nandish was accused of acquiring a device to administer electric shocks to the victim, facing charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy. Dhanaraju, on the other hand, was charged with similar offenses and was found in possession of the electric shock device. The victim, Renukaswamy, a Darshan fan, was allegedly murdered for harassing Darshan’s friend. The incident occurred in Pattangere village, with the victim’s body discovered near a flyover in Bengaluru.
The Supreme Court had earlier overturned the High Court’s decision to grant bail to Darshan and others, citing a potential misuse of judicial power. The apex court criticized the High Court’s handling of the bail issue, emphasizing the need to avoid such errors in the future.
