BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted six-week interim bail to actor Darshan, an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, on medical grounds.
The court imposed conditions which will require Darshan to surrender his passport before the trial court while being admitted to the hospital of his choice and submit a report to the doctors within a week about the nature of the treatment, duration etc. The other conditions are yet to be known.
Justice S Vishwajith Shetty passed the order which was reserved on October 29 after hearing the arguments of Darshan's counsel and the special public prosecutor (SPP) on the interim bail application. Darshan is housed in the central prison at Ballari.
On October 29, senior counsel C V Nagesh argued on behalf of Darshan that the doctors had suggested the accused undergo physiotherapy or surgery immediately for a spinal problem. If he is not admitted for treatment immediately, the delay will lead to serious disaster for his health including urological problems and stroke, Nagesh informed the court.
It is always the right of the accused to take treatment at his choice of hospital, he said.
As the neurological navigation facility is not there in the government super special hospital at Ballari, the accused will be taken to a private hospital in Mysuru for treatment if the court permits, he argued while citing various judgments in support of his arguments.
Opposing it, SPP P Prasanna Kumar argued that the medical board be constituted by the court for evaluation of the ailments of the accused, the nature of the surgery required, the time required to treat him, whether he has to be admitted as an inpatient, if so, how many days he is required to undergo treatment etc.
In the absence of all these, Kumar argued that the court cannot release the accused on interim bail.
Kumar said that the accused could be shifted to government hospitals in Bengaluru if the medical board suggested and not to the private hospital in Mysuru.
He also argued that the government hospitals are equipped with several specialised jail wards which are sufficient to take care of the medical needs of Darshan.
Even the prison premises are equipped with specialist doctors who are qualified to cater to his medical needs, he said.
Kumar argued that the government hospitals are well equipped to conduct surgery and provide treatment pertaining to the relief sought by him and therefore the application is devoid of merits and it is liable to be rejected.