Supreme Court Cancels Darshan's Bail, Orders Arrest in Renukaswamy Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday canceled the bail granted to Kannada film star Darshan in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case and ordered his immediate arrest, saying that allowing his release would undermine the administration of justice. A bench led by Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan set aside the Karnataka High Court’s December 2024 order granting bail to Darshan and several co-accused, ruling that the high court’s decision suffered from serious legal infirmities and amounted to an arbitrary exercise of discretion. The court emphasized that no person, irrespective of status, is above the law and that obedience to the law is a rule, not a favor.

The court’s intervention followed a government appeal against the High Court’s bail order in a case that has drawn intense public and media attention in Karnataka. The prosecution contends that well-founded allegations against Darshan, reinforced by forensic evidence, justify keeping him in custody during the ongoing investigation. The Supreme Court noted that the trial court remains the appropriate forum for pretrial matters and that the bail grant and its cancellation must be considered within the framework of upholding...