Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Feb 28: In a major development for Kannada actor Darshan, who is an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, the Karnataka High Court granted him permission to travel across India.

Previously, Darshan was restricted to Bengaluru and the limits of the sessions court. His legal team argued that, as the Supreme Court is also reviewing the case, Darshan needed to travel to Delhi and other locations.

Special Public Prosecutor Prasanna Kumar expressed concerns, stating that Darshan had initially sought bail on health grounds, but now he was seeking permission to travel throughout the country. Despite these objections, the court allowed Darshan to travel across India.

On February 25, Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda, and 15 other accused appeared before the Bengaluru local court, in accordance with the conditions of their bail. However, other accused claimed they were being "pressured" by the police to become approvers in the case.

Advocate Sunil, who represented the other accused, informed the court that the 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 adjourned the matter to April 8, adding that any petition on this matter could be addressed at that time.

Darshan, Pavithra, and the 15 others were arrested on June 11, 2024, on charges of kidnapping and murdering Renukaswamy, a fan from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent offensive and obscene messages to Pavithra, which angered Darshan, who was in a relationship with her despite being married.

Darshan was released on bail on October 30, 2024, after spending 131 days in custody. Sources close to Darshan revealed that Pavithra and Darshan's wife, Vijayalakshmi, had been involved in a rivalry over jewellery and luxury cars. Pavithra allegedly pressured Darshan to make public appearances with her after he had been seen with his wife. The two women also had public disputes on social media, prompting Darshan's fans to take sides.

Renukaswamy, who supported Vijayalakshmi, publicly criticised Pavithra, which ultimately led to his brutal murder, according to the police investigation.

The Karnataka Police have challenged the bail granted to Darshan and the other accused in the Supreme Court. On January 24, the Apex Court issued a notice to Darshan, Pavithra, and five others, following an appeal filed by the Karnataka government, challenging the bail order in the highly-publicised fan murder case. While granting bail, the court required Darshan and the other accused to appear before it every month.