Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court on Friday allowed Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, to travel across the country; earlier, Darshan was not allowed to travel out of Bengaluru, and the limits of the session's court, IANS reported.
Darshan's counsel said as the Supreme Court is also looking into the case, his client has to travel to Delhi and other places. Special Public Prosecutor Prasanna Kumar argued that Darshan sought bail, citing health reasons, and now he wants to travel all across the country. However, the court allowed Darshan to travel across the country.
Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 other accused appeared before the Bengaluru local court on February 25 as per the bail conditions. However, other accused claimed they were being "pressured" by police to turn approvers. Advocate Sunil, appearing for the other accused, submitted to the court that police were "pressuring" his clients to become approvers.
"The case should be fought on merit by the police, there should not be pressure," he said.
The court further said that if the petition is filed in this regard, it can be taken up. The court adjourned the matter to April 8. Darshan, Pavithra, and 15 others were arrested on June 11, 2024, on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering Renukaswamy, a fan from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra, angry over the fact that Darshan maintained a relationship with her despite being married.
Darshan was released from prison on October 30, 2024, after spending 131 days in custody. Sources close to Darshan revealed that Pavithra competed with Darshan's wife, Vijayalaxmi, over jewellery and luxury cars. She allegedly pressured Darshan to make public appearances with her after he had been seen with his wife. Pavithra and Vijayalaxmi also had public spats via social media posts, which led Darshan's fans to take sides.