Actor Darshan released on bail from Ballari Central Prison

Kannada film star Darshan released on bail from Ballari Central Prison in Renukaswamy murder case, amid fan frenzy.

Kannada film star Darshan, who was lodged in Ballari Central Prison in connection with the Chitradurga-based Renukaswamy murder case, was released on bail on Wednesday (October 30, 2024) evening.

The High Court of Karnataka granted him bail for six weeks on medical grounds in the same morning. A copy of the bail order reached the Ballari jail by 5.00 p.m. and the jail authorities, who had been waiting for the order copy since morning, expedited the process of completing the necessary procedures.

Darshan came out of his cell and entered the prison office to complete the procedures and, by 6 p.m., he came out of the prison.  

Speaking to The Hindu earlier in the day, R. Latha, Superintendent of Central Prison in Ballari, had said that the actor would be released on the same day if the prison received the bail order copy before the closure of the prison at 6.30 p.m. Since all the procedures were completed well in advance, the accused actor was released.

Just as he came out, the police personnel facilitated him to safely board his car amid his fans raising slogans and cheering. The actor took the Anantapur — Penukonda — Hindupuram — Gauribidanur — Doddaballapur route to Bengaluru, apparently avoiding his fans in Karnataka. Ballari police provided him security for around 25 km, the stretch between Ballari and the Karantaka-Andhra Pradesh border.  

Anticipating an interim bail for his husband, Darshan’s wife Vijayalakshmi arrived in Ballari on Wednesday morning. As the High Court of Karnataka granted the bail, she visited the jail and discussed with the jail authorities and his husband for half an hour. In the evening, she visited Durgamma Temple in the city and offered a special puja.

Just as the news of the High Court granting interim bail to the actor, his fans gathered outside the Ballari Central Jail to catch a glimpse of their hero. Police tightened the security to avoid any untoward incident during the actor’s release from prison.