NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a review petition filed by Kannada film actress Pavithra Gowda, seeking reconsideration of its August 14, 2025 order rejecting her bail along with that of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and others in the Renukaswamy murder case.
The two-judge Bench of Justice J. B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan observed:
“The application seeking listing of the review petitions in open court is rejected. The application seeking exemption from filing a certified copy of the impugned judgment is allowed. These review petitions have been filed by the petitioner seeking review of the order dated 14-8-2025 passed in the captioned criminal appeals whereby the appeals filed by the State of Karnataka were allowed. We have carefully gone through the said order and the record. In our opinion, no case for review is made out. Consequently, the review petitions are dismissed.”
On August 14, the apex court had set aside the Karnataka High Court’s order granting bail to actors Pavithra Gowda, Darshan, and five others accused in the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. “The order of the Karnataka High Court is set aside, and the bail granted to the accused is revoked,” the Bench had ruled.
Challenging that order, Gowda had filed a review petition before the Supreme Court, which was dismissed on Thursday.
The top court had earlier reserved its judgment on July 24 before delivering the verdict on August 14, after hearing the Karnataka government’s appeal challenging the High Court’s grant of bail to the accused.
While reading out the operative part of the verdict, Justice Pardiwala remarked:
“Justice Mahadevan has pronounced a very erudite judgment. It is ineffable. It conveys a message that however big the accused may be, he or she is not above the law.”
He further stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law, saying:
“It contains a strong message that the justice delivery system at any level should ensure at any cost that the rule of law is maintained. No man is above the law or below it. Nor do we ask anyone’s permission when we obey it. The need of the hour is to maintain the rule of law at all times.”
Strictly warning against any preferential treatment to the accused in custody, the apex court cautioned that if it was found that the accused were being given “five-star treatment” in jail, the jail superintendent and other responsible officials would be immediately suspended.
According to the prosecution, Darshan, a 47-year-old Kannada actor, was arrested on June 11, 2024 in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga. The victim’s body was found near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru on 9 June 2024.
Following investigation, the Bengaluru police filed a charge sheet naming Pavithra Gowda as Accused No. 1 and Darshan as Accused No. 2. Police alleged that the motive for the crime was Renukaswamy’s act of sending offensive messages to Pavithra.
The top court also cautioned Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Karnataka government, stating that if it learned of any wrongdoing or special treatment being provided to the accused in jail, the Court would summon him to explain the matter.
