Supreme Court Questions Bail Verdict in Darshan Thoogudeepa's Controversial Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticized the Karnataka High Court's decision to grant bail to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and six others, calling it a 'perverse exercise' of discretion. This criticism arises from the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case, where serious charges have been levied against the actor and his alleged accomplices.

A bench consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan examined the state's appeal against the High Court's December 2024 order that granted bail. The apex court raised concerns over the handling of eyewitness accounts and critical evidence, including forensic findings, questioning the high court's judicial reasoning behind the bail.

The state, represented by senior advocate Siddhath Luthra, challenged the bail as effectively a 'pre-trial acquittal' without due consideration of key evidence. The Supreme Court has underlined the severity of the charges and has yet to deliver a verdict, while maintaining that its role is only to assess the appropriateness of the bail granted.

(With inputs from agencies.)