Supreme Court Slams HC: Darshan in Trouble Again?

In October last year, popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was granted bail in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case.

He, actress Pavithra Gowda, and several others were accused of being involved in the brutal killing of a fan. The Karnataka High Court first granted interim bail, followed by regular bail on December 13 for all the primary accused.

Now, the Supreme Court of India has brutally slammed the High Court’s decision.

Responding to a petition filed by the Karnataka state government, the apex court expressed serious concern over the way bail was granted.

It observed that while an error by a trial court might be excusable, such a lapse from a High Court judge, especially in a case of this seriousness, was unacceptable.

The Supreme Court clarified that it was not commenting on the guilt or innocence of Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, or the other accused.

However, it emphasized that cases involving serious charges like murder, particularly when public figures are involved, require the bail process to be conducted with the highest level of care and judicial responsibility.

The Supreme Court strongly bashed the Karnataka High Court’s decision to grant bail to Darshan, calling it a “perverse, unacceptable, and troubling exercise of judicial power.”