In a significant legal development, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday placed an ex-parte interim order that prevents media outlets from broadcasting, printing, or publishing details from the chargesheet in the murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and 16 others. This media restriction, set by Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, will remain effective until the next court hearing.
The court’s decision came after Darshan, 47, petitioned to restrict the dissemination of confidential details from the chargesheet and other investigatory materials. This ruling underscores the ongoing legal proceedings that are still pending before a Magistrate court.
Justice Chandangoudar pointed to continued media disclosures of confidential information despite an earlier injunction by a lower court on August 27, following a suit filed by Darshan’s wife, Vijayalakshmi. Acknowledging the potential harm such disclosures could cause to the case’s integrity, the High Court has mandated that media outlets, identified as respondents 3 to 40, refrain from revealing any specifics from the chargesheet until further notice.
The High Court referenced the 2010 Supreme Court decision in “Sidhartha Vashisht @ Manu Sharma vs State (NCT of Delhi)” and Clause 5 of the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995, in its judgment. It also drew on a prior ruling from a coordinate bench of the Karnataka High Court, reinforcing the legal framework supporting the order.
Additionally, the court has instructed the Union of India to ensure that the involved media houses are duly notified of this decision.
Darshan was arrested on June 11, 2024, concerning the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, whose body was discovered near a stormwater drain in Sumanahalli on June 9. According to police, the murder stemmed from Renukaswamy’s inappropriate messages to Pavithra Gowda, a friend and co-accused of Darshan. It is alleged that Darshan, driven by anger, participated in the brutal act that led to Renukaswamy’s death due to shock and hemorrhage from multiple blunt injuries.
