The Supreme Court of India directed a Bengaluru court to expedite proceedings in the Renukaswamy murder case involving Darshan, observing that the trial was progressing “very slow,” while also ordering Karnataka to provide him facilities available to undertrial prisoners.
The Supreme Court directed a Bengaluru court to speed up the trial in the Renukaswamy murder case involving actor Darshan and others, noting that the progress so far is “very slow.”
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi also instructed the Karnataka government to ensure Darshan receives all prison facilities available to an undertrial prisoner.
The apex court examined a report submitted by the Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, which stated that charges in the case were framed on November 3, 2025.
It observed that over the last seven months, the prosecution has examined 10 witnesses. The court also noted that the prosecution intends to examine 60 witnesses on priority to establish the respective roles of the accused persons.
The bench said:
“We are of the view that the progress so far, as a trial is concerned, is very slow. It is true that the defense counsel is taking time to conduct the cross-examination. But if the trial is proceeding at this pace, it is going to take a long time even before 60 witnesses are examined. In such circumstances, it is for the trial court to see that witnesses are examined on a regular basis and it is not adjourned on any flimsy ground,”
The Supreme Court further indicated that, if necessary, the trial court may conduct proceedings on a day-to-day basis.
It added:
“We would like to observe the progress of the trial for a period of one year. At the end of one year, if there is no substantial progress in the trial, we will look into the matter accordingly. We want the defence to cooperate with the trial court and see to it that the witnesses are examined as fast as possible,”
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Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Darshan, submitted that the prosecution seeks to examine 272 witnesses, but only 10 have been examined during the past seven months. He also stated that the actor has been kept in a quarantine cell and has not been allowed to interact with other inmates.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the State, told the court that Darshan is lodged in a facility that was referred to as the quarantine cell during the pandemic, and he rejected the claim that Darshan is prevented from interacting with others.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had requested a report from the Karnataka government in response to a plea filed by Darshan alleging denial of basic amenities.
On August 14 of last year, the top court cancelled the bail granted to Darshan and other accused persons in the case.
Darshan, along with actress Pavithra Gowda and several others, has been accused of abducting and torturing 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan who allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra. Police said the victim was kept in a shed in Bengaluru for three days in June 2024, where he was tortured, and his body was later recovered from a drain.
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