Cops arrest Darshan, Pavithra Gowda after SC cancels bail, to be produced before trial court

Bengaluru: Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his friend Pavithra Gowda were arrested by the Bengaluru police on Thursday after the Supreme Court cancelled their bail.

Pavithra, the accused 1, and Darshan, the accused 2, will be produced before a trial court, which will remand them to prison after a medical examination.

The police also arrested Pradoosh S Rao alias Pradoosh, Lakshman M and Nagaraju R, three of the co-accused. Anu Kumar alias Anu, and Jagadeesh alias Jagga, will also be arrested shortly, the police said.

Darshan, Pavithra and 15 others were granted bail last year after their arrest in the brutal murder of Renukaswmay from Chitradurga in June 2024.

The State government had moved a special leave petition before the Supreme Court challenging the bail granted by the Karnataka High Court.

The Supreme Court set aside the bail granted to Darshan, Pavithra, and co-accused Nagaraju R, Anu Kumar alias Anu, Lakshman M, Jagadeesh alias Jagga, and Pradoosh S Rao alias Pradoosh, on Thursday.

Darshan is likely to be sent back to the central prison in Ballari, where he had been languishing for several months before being released on bail.

He was moved to Ballari from the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru after photographs of him were leaked where he was seen smoking and hobnobbing with notorious criminals.