Fan murder case: K’taka HC grants 6-week conditional bail to Darshan

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted conditional bail on medical grounds to Kannada actor Darshan for six weeks in the fan murder case.

The bench stated that availing medical treatment is the right of an undertrial and granted interim bail for six weeks to get treatment for severe back pain. As per the submission of the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Prasanna Kumar, the bench has directed the seizure of the actor's passport.

The bench has allowed Darshan to get the treatment at his choice of hospital. He has also been asked to submit the details and report of the medical treatment he is undergoing within seven days.

Single bench Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty passed the order.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others were arrested on June 11 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering Renukaswamy from Chitradurga.

Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda as he was miffed with the actor for his relationship with Pavithra Gowda despite being married.

Darshan was shifted to Ballari prison after photos of 'royal treatment' for him at the Bengaluru Central Prison surfaced. He is facing three FIRs in this connection.

The police submitted a 3,991-page charge sheet on September 4 in the fan murder case.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on the bail petition of jailed Kannada superstar Darshan after completing arguments and counterarguments.

Senior counsel C.V. Nagesh, appearing for the jailed actor, had stated that Darshan is suffering from severe back pain, which is causing numbness in his legs.

He added that if the condition persists, Darshan could face further health complications.

Nagesh explained that there is an issue with a disc that is obstructing blood flow, making surgery unavoidable for Darshan, as it cannot be treated by other means.

He noted that the health issue was not mentioned when the initial bail plea was submitted, but has since worsened, prompting them to seek bail on medical grounds. He argued that everyone has the right to health, and under these circumstances, regardless of the charges, bail should be granted.

Nagesh also referenced Supreme Court judgments that support this right.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), Prasanna Kumar, had opposed the bail, stating that the doctors who examined Darshan indicated only potential future complications.

In the previous report, the doctors noted that there was no serious health issue at present.

Kumar added that while there was a problem with Darshan’s hip, it has since been stabilised. He also pointed out that the doctor’s report lacks details about the nature of the surgery, the duration of treatment, and the location where the surgery will be performed.

Counsel Nagesh clarified that Darshan is a native of Mysuru and has previously received treatment at Apollo Hospital there, where he intends to be treated again. He added that none of the case’s witnesses were based in Mysuru.

The Bench observed that even undertrials have a right to health and questioned the SPP about considering the latest health report.