Renukaswamy Murder Case: Karnataka High Court Stays Order Directing Home-Cooked Food For Pavithra Gowda & Two Others In Jail

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (January 20) stayed a trial court order which had permitted grant of home-cooked food in jail to actress Pavithra Gowda, Nagaraju R and Lakshman M presently facing trial in the Renukaswamy Murder case. 

Justice M Nagaprassana was hearing State's plea challenging a Sessions Court order dated 29-12-2025 as well as a clarificatory order dated 12-1-2026 which permitted the grant of home cooked food to accused 1(Gowda), 11(Nagaraju R) and 12 (Lakshman M). In the interim, the State had sought a stay of the orders.

Justice Nagaprassana in his order referred to the Supreme Court's decision, which while cancelling bail granted to co-accused actor Darshan as well as Gowda and five others, had warned the jail authorities against providing any special treatment to the actor over his celebrity status.

The judge referred to decision of the Apex court which had held, "No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it...The day we come to know that the accused persons are provided with some special or five-star treatment within the jail premises, the first step in the process will be to place the jail superintendent under suspension including all other officials involved in such misconduct".

Issuing notice on the State's plea, the high court thereafter said:

"The apex court observes that providing special food to undertrial prisoners, would be misconduct. The concerned court in complete or blatant ignorance to what apex court has observed in this very case of Darshan and other accused who are facing trial...has now issued a show cause notice to the State as to why the food is not granted as is directed by the court. While it is true that the food can be granted from the house under special circumstances for which elaborate procedure is prescribed under prison rules, all the procedure is given a go by and instead an order is passed which runs completely contrary to the order passed by the Apex Court...In that light I deem it appropriate to stay the order dated 29-12-2025 and 12-1-2026 till next date of hearing. Emergent notice to the respondents be served through jail superintendent".

Meanwhile in the post lunch session, the counsel appearing for the respondents submitted that "very same facilities are given to another accused in another case" and that he will place the record before the court. He said that the order granting home-cooked food to other accused have not been challenged by the jail authorities. 

The high court however said, "My only concern is trial court could not have passed orders contrary to Supreme Court's orders which says no special treatment shall be given". 

Arguing that this was not a special treatment the respondents counsel said that the jail authority was spending per day only Rs. 85 per prisoners and the food was of sub-standard quality. He said that accused-1 (Gowda) is suffering from heart disease and another accused is over 56 years. 

"We are requesting for atleast basic treatment...they are treating literally as inhuman...dinner they will give at 5'o clock," he added stating that he has RTI data as well. The court at this stage asked the respondents counsel to place the relevant details before the court and listed the matter on January 23. 

The State's counsel said that accused persons had submitted before concerned court that they were not being provided with proper food.

This plea, the State contended, was allowed straightaway. It was submitted that the State immediately moved a plea seeking clarification arguing that four star rating had been given to the jail-cooked food for being nutritious. 

Darshan and 16 others have been charged for offences punishable under Section 120B, (Conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence), 364 (Abduction/kidnapping), 302 (murder) and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They were granted bail by the high court in December 2024, which was cancelled by the Supreme Court in August 2025. 

Case title: STATE OF KARNATAKA v/s  SMT. PAVITHRA GOWDA & Others

WP 1421/2026