The Supreme Court on Friday declined to cancel the bail granted by the Karnataka High Court to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his partner Pavitra Gowda and five others accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, PTI reported.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan was hearing a petition filed by the Karnataka government challenging the High Court’s December 13 order. The bench agreed to examine the petition and issued notice to Thoogudeepa and the others accused in the matter.

The court directed them to file their responses within four weeks, Bar and Bench reported.

“Since state is praying for cancellation of bail, it would not be proper to stay the operation of the order as it would amount to cancellation of bail,” the bench said. “Yet to protect the interest of prosecution, if any co-accused prays on bail, the court concerned shall not place reliance on the order challenged before us.”

Any bail application filed shall be decided on its own merit, it added.

Thoogudeepa was arrested on June 11 in connection with the murder of a 33-year-old man named Renukaswamy, who was his fan.

Apart from Thoogudeepa and Gowda, 15 others were booked for their alleged involvement in Renukaswamy’s murder.

Renukaswamy had allegedly been sending abusive messages and comments to Gowda. On June 9, his body was recovered from a drain in the Summanahalli area of Bengaluru.

A chargesheet was filed days after a Bengaluru court on August 27 allowed the police to shift Thoogudeepa to the Ballari district prison from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru as reports emerged that he was being given preferential treatment in custody.

Nine central jail officials in Bengaluru were suspended after a photograph showing Thoogudeepa sitting on a prison lawn in the company of three other inmates was widely shared on social media.

On October 30, the High Court granted interim bail to Thoogudeepa for six weeks to undergo surgery. It then granted regular bail to Thoogudeepa, Gowda and five other persons accused in the case on December 13.

Earlier this month, the state government moved the Supreme Court challenging the bail order.