After five months in jail, Darshan gets 6 weeks interim bail on medical grounds

BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday six weeks of interim bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who has been in jail for the last five months in the Renukaswamy murder case. The High Court had on Tuesday reserved its order on the application filed by Darshan seeking interim bail on medical grounds to undergo spine surgery.

A single-judge bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty allowed the interim bail application filed by Darshan to enable him to undergo surgery. Darshan, in his petition, had sought three months interim bail, but the high court granted six weeks while laying down several conditions.

The court said Darshan can avail treatment in any hospital, but a medical report will have to be submitted after the first week. It also said that he will have to surrender his passport to the court. After the expiry of six weeks, Darshan will have to return to prison.

Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, was kidnapped and tortured to death at a shed in Pattanagere in Bengaluru.

Darshan’s lawyers have appealed to the court to make the written orders available today itself to that he can be released from jail by this evening.

Actor Darshan will come out of jail after 131 days. Reacting to the bail, the counsel for Darshan, Sunil Kumar, said, “We will come to know only after we get the order copy, we will submit the passport, we have to fulfil’ some of the procedures for the release of Darshan on bail, we will do that”.

“Our argument was that he had issues in L5, and S1. He has had this pain for a long time, now we will have to fight for regular bail, he has a spinal problem. First, Darshan has to be admitted to the hospital and then within a week report has to be submitted. In a sealed envelope report was submitted related to checkups”, he added.

Darshan has been named as second accused in the chargesheet in the Renukaswamy case where the 33-year-old resident of Chitradurga was murdered. The victim’s remains were discovered in Kamakshipalya on June 9.

Darshan and Pavithra Gowda are the prime accused in the Renukaswamy murder case.

Darshan was earlier transferred to the Ballai jail after a photo of him with a rowdy-sheeter in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail went viral. Seven prison officials were suspended following orders from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.