Darshan approaches Supreme Court on fresh bail plea in Renukaswamy murder case
Darshan has asked the Supreme Court to clarify that if the hearing in the Renukaswamy case is slow, he can demand fresh bail. The petition said the earlier order was meant as a safety measure and not to prevent delay or hardship amid relief.
Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to file a fresh bail plea in the Renukaswamy kidnap and murder case, citing slow progress of the trial.
The move comes months after the apex court rejected his bail plea on May 15, but he was allowed to approach the court again after a year if there was no significant progress in the trial.
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In his latest application, Darshan has asked the Supreme Court to clarify that its earlier order should not stop him from seeking bail early if there are any new developments in the case. He argued that the one-year limitation should not be construed as a blanket bar preventing courts from considering new circumstances.
The actor has said that if the trial continues to move slowly, if he remains in jail for a long time, if there are health concerns, or if other critical circumstances arise, he should be allowed to seek relief.
According to the petition, Darshan has been in custody since August 2025, when the Supreme Court canceled the bail granted to him and other accused in the case. He has also said that he has fully cooperated with the investigation and court proceedings and has done nothing to delay the trial.
The application has cited the Supreme Court’s May 15 order, in which a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi had refused to grant bail and directed the trial court to hold hearings on a day-to-day basis. Expressing concern over the slow pace of the case, the judges had also asked the trial court to start examining 60 key witnesses.
Darshan has now argued that the order could be misinterpreted as it could prevent him from filing any fresh bail plea before the completion of one year, no matter how the case progresses. According to him, such an interpretation would leave him with little legal recourse, even if there were major delays in the trial or other significant issues would arise.
His petition further states that the Supreme Court’s decision to allow him to seek bail after one year was an additional security measure and not the only option available to him.
Earlier, Darshan had told that the prosecution was planning to examine around 262 witnesses and so far only a few witnesses have been examined. He argued that the trial could therefore take several years to conclude. He had also highlighted the impact of prolonged imprisonment on his career, livelihood and family.
The 49-year-old actor was arrested in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy from Chitradurga on June 11, 2024. According to the police, Renukaswamy was allegedly murdered after sending obscene messages to Darshan’s colleague Pavitra Gowda.
On August 14, 2025, the Supreme Court canceled the bail granted to Darshan, Pavitra Gowda and other accused in the case.
Through the fresh application, Darshan has asked the Supreme Court to clarify that if the trial continues to proceed slowly or other significant developments emerge, he can seek bail again before the expiry of the one-year period.