Karnataka: The Police on Thursday arrested actor Pavithra Gowda after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to her by the High Court in the Renukaswamy murder case.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan overturned the Karnataka High Court’s earlier order, saying it “suffers from serious infirmities”.

The judges instructed that the accused be arrested immediately and directed that the trial be completed without delay.

“There is no legal reason to grant bail,” the bench observed, adding that Darshan’s continued liberty posed a “risk of derailing the administration of justice.”

Who are the accused and what are the allegations?

Pavithra Gowda is listed as the first accused (A1) in the case, with Darshan as the second (A2). Police allege that Darshan, Gowda, and others kidnapped and assaulted 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan accused of sending obscene messages to Gowda.

According to investigators, the victim was confined in a shed in Bengaluru for three days in June 2024, tortured, and later found dead in a drain.

What else did the court say?

The Supreme Court also warned the Karnataka government not to give any special privileges to the accused while they are in prison.

Darshan is reportedly in Mysuru, where Bengaluru police have gone to arrest him following the court’s order. 

The case

Darshan, along with actress Pavithra Gowda and several others, is accused of abducting and torturing 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan who allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra.

The police alleged the victim was held in a shed in Bengaluru for three days in June 2024, tortured and his body was recovered from a drain.

(With agency inputs)