Darshan's Bail Cancelled: Timeline Of Renukaswamy Murder Case That Shook Karnataka
The SC bench headed by Justice Pardiwala observed granting bail in a case of such grave nature carried serious risk of the accused influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
In a major development in the Renukaswamy murder case, the Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to Kannada actor Darshan and other accused by the Karnataka High Court. The bench headed by Justice JB Pardiwala observed that granting bail in a case of such grave nature carried a serious risk of the accused influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. The Court stressed that the High Court had failed to consider the seriousness of the allegations, the brutality of the crime, and the potential impact on the investigation when granting bail.
Earlier, in December 2024, the Karnataka High Court had granted regular bail to Darshan, co-accused Pavithra Gowda, and five others. The HC reasoned that the investigation was substantially complete, a chargesheet had been filed, and continued custody was not necessary. This order was strongly challenged by the Karnataka government, which argued that the High Court's decision was 'perverse" and ignored the gravity of the offence, eventually leading to the apex court's intervention.
Timeline Of the Renukaswamy Murder Case
8 June 2024: Renukaswamy from Chitradurga was allegedly tortured and killed in a shed in Bengaluru after sending inappropriate messages to actress Pavithra Gowda.
9 June 2024: His body, bearing severe injuries, was found near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli, Bengaluru.
10 June 2024: Four men surrendered claiming responsibility over a financial dispute, but discrepancies soon led investigators back to Darshan.
11 June 2024: Actor Darshan was arrested in Mysuru; along with Pavithra Gowda and others, he was taken into custody.
June–August 2024: Darshan's custody was extended multiple times as investigations progressed.
August 2024: A leaked photo showed Darshan appearing relaxed in prison, prompting outrage and suspension of jail staff. He was shifted to Ballari Central Jail.
September 2024: Bengaluru Police filed a 3,991-page chargesheet against Darshan and 16 others. Judicial custody continued.
30 October 2024: Darshan received six-week interim bail on medical grounds to undergo surgery.
13 December 2024: The Karnataka High Court granted regular bail to Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and five others.
24 January 2025: The Supreme Court issued notices to Darshan and others, agreeing to hear the Karnataka government's challenge to the HC's bail order.
May 2025: While out on bail, Darshan requested court approval to go abroad for work.
17 & 24 July 2025: The Supreme Court called the HC's decision 'prima facie perverse" and akin to an acquittal, expressing concern over the reasoning.
7 August 2025: Written submissions were filed by Darshan and Pavithra requesting continuation of bail.
13 August 2025: The Supreme Court reserved its verdict for 14 August.
14 August 2025: The apex court set aside the Karnataka High Court's bail order, citing the risk of influence on witnesses and the seriousness of the case.
The Renukaswamy murder case shocked Karnataka, not only for its brutality but also because of the involvement of a major film industry star. According to investigators, the 33-year-old victim, a fan of Darshan, had allegedly sent obscene and threatening messages to actress Pavithra Gowda, who is believed to share close ties with the actor. Police allege that this provoked a violent retaliation, in which Renukaswamy was abducted, brutally assaulted, and killed before his body was dumped in Bengaluru.
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