Will the SC Avoid Repeating the HC's Mistake on Darshan's Bail?

New Delhi, July 24 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment regarding the petition challenging the bail granted to Kannada superstar Darshan in the high-profile fan murder case, after arguments concluded.

During the hearing, the bench comprised of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan expressed significant concerns regarding the Karnataka High Court’s decision to grant bail. "We will not repeat the High Court's blunder," they stated.

Attorneys have been instructed to submit written arguments, limited to three pages, within a week, with the ruling anticipated in ten days.

The bench scrutinized the High Court's use of judicial discretion, saying: "Our concern lies in the apparent lack of careful judgment in the order allowing bail for Darshan. The decision has troubled us. While we understand if a trial court judge makes a mistake, we cannot accept the rationale provided by the High Court judge?"

They also raised eyebrows over a photograph in which Darshan appeared with other accused individuals. "We assumed the photo was taken casually. What type of individuals are these? Is it normal to take a photograph like this after being involved in a murder?" they questioned.

The apex court further probed why forensic and circumstantial evidence was disregarded, as well as the credibility of statements from two eyewitnesses. "There are severe allegations of criminal conspiracy and murder, including kidnapping. How can such evidence be overlooked?" the bench queried.

"We are not here to determine the punishment for the accused, nor are we exonerating him from charges. We will not repeat the mistakes made by the High Court," the bench clarified.

Senior counsel Siddharth Dave, representing Darshan, argued that no blood traces were found at the crime scene, contrary to later forensic reports claiming otherwise. "None of these findings are trustworthy. The seized clothing was taken three days after the incident. There are also doubts regarding the accused Punith's 12-day disappearance. If he intended to make a statement, he would have done so immediately," he argued.

Dave also claimed that the eyewitnesses' statements were dubious and contended that while the language of the High Court might not have been perfect, its ruling was justified.

Meanwhile, counsel for the main accused, Pavithra Gowda, argued that she did not inflict any injury on the victim. "The statement merely indicates she struck the victim with slippers," the counsel clarified.

The bench inquired about the motive behind Pavithra Gowda making 55 calls to accused number three, Pavan. The counsel explained that Pavan was her cook, and the calls were work-related.

On July 22, the Supreme Court had already voiced dissatisfaction with the Karnataka High Court's decision. Addressing senior counsel Kapil Sibal, the bench stated: "To be frank, we are not convinced by the way the High Court exercised its discretion."

Darshan, who is currently in Thailand filming 'Devil', is expected to return to Bengaluru on July 25.

Advocate Ranganath, representing accused number six Anukumar and accused number seven Jagadish, informed the media that the Supreme Court bench listened to arguments from all parties, including the prosecution. “The court has instructed us to submit written arguments within a week. The ruling will be announced thereafter,” he shared.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others were arrested on June 11, 2024, on charges of kidnapping and the brutal murder of Renukaswamy, a fan from Chitradurga.