Court grants bail to three accused, Darshan's plea adjourned to September 27

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday granted bail to Keshavamurthy, one of the accused in the Renukaswamy murder case.

The Supreme Court under Justice Vishwajit Shetty granted bail.

Meanwhile, the district court today granted bail to two more accused in the case, Nikhil Naik and Karthik.

On the other hand, the 57th Magistrate Court in Bengaluru adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of ​​Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa to September 27 and that of his friend and other accused Pavithra Gowda to September 25.

Darshan filed a bail application on Saturday, September 21.

All 17 accused in the murder case, including actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his friend Pavithra, are currently in judicial custody and are lodged in various jails across the state.

On September 4, the police submitted a 3,991-page preliminary indictment to the court in the case.

Karthik (Accused No. A 15), Keshavamurthy (A 16) and Nikhil Naik (A 17) are lodged in Tumakuru Jail.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Pavithra, which enraged Darshan and allegedly led to his murder.

His body was found on June 9 near a stormwater drain next to a flat in Sumanahalli.

Raghavendra, one of the accused, who is a member of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had taken Renukaswamy to a hut in RR Nagar on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him.

He was allegedly tortured and murdered in this shed.

According to the autopsy report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died of shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blunt injuries.

According to police sources, Pavithra, who is the main accused, was the “main cause” of Renukaswamy's murder. Investigations have proved that she instigated, conspired with other accused and participated in the crime.

Earlier, actor Darshan was shifted to Bellary jail after a photograph of him hanging out with three others, including a rowdy, on the lawn of Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Karnataka went viral.

Karnataka Finance Minister Krishna Byre Gowda reacted to the matter. “If additional privileges are being granted to this person, it is wrong. Officials who have facilitated such privileges should be held accountable and action should be taken against them,” he said.

The Karnataka government had earlier suspended seven prison officials after a purported picture of Darshan from prison circulated online. In the picture, the actor was seen holding a cup in his right hand and a cigarette in the other.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)