The Supreme Court on Friday directed Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda, along with five others, to respond to an appeal filed by the Karnataka government challenging the bail granted to them by the Karnataka High Court in the Renukaswamy murder case.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued notice to the accused, directing them to submit their responses within four weeks.

The body of 33-year-old auto-driver Renukaswamy was discovered on June 9, with allegations stating that his death resulted from injuries inflicted during an attack orchestrated by actor Darshan Thoogudeepa. It is claimed that Darshan instructed his fans to apprehend and kidnap Renukaswamy for allegedly making derogatory comments about Pavithra Gowda on social media.

Darshan was arrested on June 11, 2024. On October 30, 2024, the Karnataka High Court granted him interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds. Later, on December 13, 2024, the court granted regular bail to Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and five other accused. In its order, Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, sitting as a single judge, noted that the prosecution failed to provide specific grounds for the arrest of the accused.

Justice Shetty referenced the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of journalist Prabir Purkayastha, which clarified that the grounds for arrest must be distinct and case-specific, allowing the accused a fair opportunity to defend themselves and seek bail.

The High Court observed that the prosecution had delayed serving the grounds of arrest, and when provided, the reasons were identical for all accused, lacking the necessary individual details.

Following this, the State filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the bail order. The plea was submitted to the apex court on January 6, 2025, through Krishna & Nishani Law Chambers.