New Delhi: The Karnataka High Court has granted bail to five men who were arrested for allegedly sending online rape and death threats to actress and former Member of Parliament Divya Spandana, popularly known as Ramya. The threats were reportedly made after the actress shared a post referencing the Supreme Court’s remarks in the case related to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, an accused in the Chitradurga Renukaswamy murder case.
The decision was delivered by Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar, who observed that most of the alleged offences were bailable and that custodial interrogation was unnecessary since the investigation had already been completed. The Court further noted that the accused were young and that their phones, considered key evidence, had already been seized by the police.
Karnataka High Court grants bail to five Darshan fans
The individuals granted bail include Chinmay S Shetty (18), Obanna T (25), Gangadhar KM (19), Rajesh CY (23), and Manjunath (22). Additionally, anticipatory bail was granted to Vikas BA (28), whose social media account had been flagged during the investigation.
The case was registered by the Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police after Ramya reported receiving abusive comments and violent threats from at least 43 anonymous accounts. Following her complaint, several arrests were made, and the accused later approached the High Court seeking bail.
The defence counsel argued that since the alleged offence took place through online platforms, there was little chance of evidence being tampered with. They also pointed out that the accused were young students and unlikely to pose any danger to Ramya, given her stature as a well-known public figure.
However, the State’s counsel opposed the plea, arguing that the charges were serious and that the accused might threaten witnesses or the complainant if released. After hearing both sides, the High Court allowed the bail applications, directing each accused to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
The Court further instructed the accused not to contact or threaten Ramya or any witnesses, to cooperate with the investigation, and to appear before the trial court as required. Advocates Satyanarayan Chalke, Girish R, and Sharath S Gowda represented the petitioners, while Additional Special Public Prosecutor B Pushpalatha appeared for the State. Advocate Shesha Karthik Reddy represented actress Ramya.
More about Ramya
Born in 1982, Divya Spandana (Ramya) is a celebrated actress in the Kannada film industry and a former Lok Sabha MP from Mandya. She has starred in acclaimed films like Sanju Weds Geetha, Amrithadhare, and Nagarahavu, earning multiple Filmfare and State Awards for her performances.