Karnataka HC rejects actor Darshan's plea over Renukaswamy murder approver

The Karnataka High Court dismissed actor Darshan's plea against a sessions court order in the Renukaswamy murder case. The ruling reinforces that co-accused cannot contest another accused's bid to become an approver.Darshan, who is the second accused in the case, had sought to quash the August 10 order of the 58th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru. (File photo)The Karnataka High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by actor Darshan, an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, challenging a sessions court order that had refused to let him file objections to a co-accused's plea to turn approver.Darshan, who is the second accused in the case, had sought to quash the August 10 order of the 58th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru. The plea before the sessions court related to an application filed by co-accused Pradosh Rao, the 14th accused in the case, seeking pardon under Section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and permission to become an approver.Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order after hearing senior advocate Hasmath Pasha for Darshan and Special Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar. The High Court made it clear that a co-accused has no right to make submissions when a court is considering an application by another accused seeking pardon and approval to become an approver under Section 306 of the CrPC.The court also took note of the prosecution's submission that the High Court had earlier dealt with the rights of a co-accused under Section 306 of the CrPC. It further noted that the Supreme Court had already dismissed a petition challenging an order passed in connection with the Yogeshgouda murder case involving legislator Vinay Kulkarni. Dismissing Darshan's petition, the High Court said the order passed in the Yogeshgouda murder case on granting approval to an approver, and the subsequent proceedings in that matter, would also apply to the present case. Darshan and his friend, actor Pavithra Gowda, are among the 17 accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, and he is currently in jail under judicial custody.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 14, 2026 00:08 IST