A Bengaluru court has reserved its decision till September 9 on petitions seeking actor Darshan’s transfer to Ballari Central Jail and his request for basic jail facilities. The case is linked to the high-profile Renukaswamy murder investigation.
Bengaluru: A City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru has reserved its verdict till September 9 on two important petitions linked to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is currently in jail in the Renukaswamy murder case.
One petition was filed by the prosecution seeking to shift Darshan to Ballari Central Jail, while the other was filed by Darshan himself, requesting that he be given basic facilities inside prison.
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Senior advocate Sandesh Chowta, representing Darshan, strongly opposed the transfer plea. He argued that shifting the actor to Ballari would create serious practical difficulties because
“Ballari is around 310 km from Bengaluru, making it impractical for the actor to travel for every court hearing.”
However, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Prasanna Kumar countered this argument, reminding the court about the observations already made by the country’s top court.
He stated,
“The Supreme Court had already noted Darshan’s conduct in prison while cancelling his bail, and therefore no additional justification was required for his transfer.”
He further insisted,
“Administrative grounds alone were sufficient to move the accused to another jail.”
On the other side, Darshan’s legal team demanded that the actor should be given basic bedding materials. They told the court that as an undertrial prisoner, he had the right to minimum facilities.
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His lawyers said,
“Bedding, including a mattress, pillow, and blanket, should be provided. Undertrial prisoners are entitled to minimum facilities.”
They also questioned prison authorities, asking,
“On what legal grounds could such essentials be denied?”
The prosecution opposed this plea, saying Darshan’s request was filed too soon after his imprisonment. SPP Prasanna Kumar argued,
“Darshan’s request was premature, filed just two days after his incarceration.”
He also explained the legal position under state law:
“Provisions under the Karnataka Prisoners Act apply to convicted inmates, not undertrials.”
He added that while some facilities may be allowed, items like bedding were not permissible.
He said,
“While newspapers and books could be allowed, facilities like a bed and pillow were not permissible for those facing serious charges such as murder,”
After carefully listening to both sides, the court decided not to pass an immediate order. The matter has now been kept for decision on September 9.
Darshan, along with his close friend Pavithra Gowda and several others, is currently lodged in jail in connection with the alleged murder of Renukaswamy, a case that has attracted huge public attention in Karnataka.
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