Kannada-based actor Darshan is also pending a ruling from the Supreme Court on his latest bail claim regarding the Renukaswamy murder case.
After his bail was revoked the second time and he was lodged in Bangalore’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, the actor has sought relief from the apex court over an alleged delay in trial proceedings and complications in jail.
Reports say the Supreme Court will probably issue its judgment on May 15 after hearing from both sides in the past few days. Darshan’s lawyers, it was said, argued that the trial for the murder is “slow” and that the ongoing detention without the right to an expedited witness examination merited bail.
Darshan also brought up the perceived life inside, in the prison section of Parappana Agrahara, where he stated he suffered prison neglect, intimidation and harassment by fellow inmates. He told the court he had been overwhelmed while in prison and urged that it should be settled as he needed consideration regarding his safety and mental state.
Those allegations prompted the Supreme Court to request prison authorities to provide a comprehensive report, the organisation was reported to have said. At this new hearing, it was reported that the Special Public Prosecutor held a firm position against Darshan’s allegations, presenting footage from CCTV and body-camera footage before the court.
The prosecution claimed Darshan was in another room and didn’t come into regular contact with prisoners, denying allegations of threats or harassment while in prison. Officials reportedly informed the court that the actor had access to sufficient security residing inside the jail.
Darshan's lawyer also mentioned delays in examining witnesses in the murder trial. Even though 10 of the almost 270 witnesses mentioned were found to have not yet been fully examined, the actor was said to have told the court. A long wait for hearings should be considered when figuring out bail, he said.
However, the government retorted that there would also be a lot of legal requests and petitions filed by the accused in the trial, which would only add to the amount of time the case could take. As stated by the Special Public Prosecutor, it is the law that the investigation and court process were being carried out as expected.
Renukaswamy’s killing case is, in recent times, one of the most shocking crimes from Kannada cinema, the crime story of Renukaswamy as the murder case, and it's one of the most notorious of the killings. The case is linked to the death of Renukaswamy, which was sensationalised when news spread around Karnataka.
The matter of the case's media exposure in June 2024 led to the arrest of Darshan, actress Pavithra Gowda, as well as other suspects by the Bengaluru Police. Later, as the prosecution worked to bring charges against the accused, they were remanded to judicial custody.
Darshan was granted temporary bail for medical conditions in October 2024; the bail of some of the other accused (including Pavithra Gowda) followed on. While still behind bars, Darshan resumed work and film production, ultimately shooting his movie Devil.
Bengaluru Police, on judicial orders, then took the case to the Supreme Court to cancel the bail granted to the accused. The top court has been tasked with the matter, and it subsequently cancelled the bail of Darshan and some of the other accused, resulting in the actor’s return to Parappana Agrahara prison in August 2025.
Now, Darshan is in judicial custody pending trial, even though the trial process is continuing. Fans, lawyers and the Kannada film industry are watching closely for the Supreme Court’s imminent ruling over his latest bail petition.
