The Supreme Court, on Monday, May 4, sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government on a petition filed by actor Darshan, who is currently in judicial custody in the Renukaswamy murder case. Darshan has alleged that he is being denied basic amenities, including proper food and lighting, inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.
A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued notice to the State on the actor’s plea, directing authorities to clarify whether the facilities ordinarily available to an undertrial prisoner are being provided to him.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Darshan, submitted that the denial of basic amenities was a result of the court’s earlier observation that the actor must not receive “five-star treatment” in jail. “Because of that direction, I am not even given basic amenities,” Rohatgi told the Bench. He added that Darshan has been kept in a quarantine cell without light and is unable to access food he is entitled to purchase.
The Bench took note of the submissions and asked the trial court to submit a status report on the progress of the case. “We would like to know how many witnesses have been examined and how many witnesses the State proposes to examine. We would also like to have a fair idea of how much time the trial court is likely to take before it is concluded,” the order stated. The Supreme Court also directed the State to clarify whether Darshan is being provided the basic amenities due to an undertrial. Reports are to be submitted within a week.
Darshan, along with actress Pavithra Gowda and several others, is accused in the abduction and murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan who allegedly sent obscene messages to Gowda. According to the police, the victim was held in a shed in Bengaluru for three days in June 2024, tortured and later found dead in a drain.
In August last year, the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to Darshan and the co-accused, after noting concerns raised by the Karnataka government that the actor was attempting to influence witnesses and had received favourable treatment due to his celebrity status. The court also warned jail authorities against offering any special privileges to him.
Rohatgi informed the court that although only 10 out of 262 witnesses have been examined, Darshan has spent nearly a year in custody following the cancellation of his bail.
The Supreme Court has directed the registry to obtain a detailed report from the 56th Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, who is overseeing Sessions Case No 1391. The report has been sought to assess the pace and conduct of the trial, as well as the conditions under which actor Darshan is being held as an undertrial prisoner.
The trial court has been asked to specify how many witnesses have been examined so far, how many remain and the estimated time required for the trial’s completion. In addition, the court must clarify whether Darshan is being provided all basic amenities that an undertrial is legally entitled to.
The Supreme Court has given one week for the submission of these documents. The matter will be taken up for hearing after the reports are received.