Bengaluru court bars Darshan's request for in-person hearings, permits video link
A Bengaluru court denied actor Darshan and three co-accused the ability to attend every hearing in the Renukaswamy murder case in person, allowing only video participation.
In a recent ruling, a Bengaluru sessions court rejected a petition by actor Darshan and three other defendants seeking to be physically present at every hearing of the Renukaswamy murder case, mandating video-conference attendance instead. The High Court had previously turned down Darshan's effort to overturn an August 10 order that prevented him from contesting co-accused Pradosh Rao's application for pardon and approver status under Section 306 of the CrPC.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, after hearing senior advocate Hasmath Pasha and Special Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar, affirmed that a co-accused lacks standing to intervene in another's approver request. The judgment also cited a Supreme Court decision dismissing a similar petition in the Yogeshgouda murder case involving legislator Vinay Kulkarni, indicating that precedent applies here. Darshan, currently in judicial custody, is one of 17 accused, which includes actor Pavithra Gowda. The court's order underscores procedural limits for co-accused in criminal proceedings.
Why it matters
The ruling clarifies procedural rights of co-accused in Indian murder trials and limits their ability to influence each other's pardon applications.
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