The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (September 8) set aside a trial court's order granting conditional pardon to an accused-turned-approver Pradosh in the Renukaswamy murder case allegedly involving Kannada actor Darshan, holding that the procedure adopted suffered from 'procedural aberrations'. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 340]

Darshan, accused No.2 in the murder case, had approached the High Court challenging two orders passed by LVIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Court Judge S.M Sambrani, namely, order granting pardon to Pradosh S. Rao and treating him as an approver, and the earlier order calling for a report from the Probation Officer

The single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna today said,

“….In light of the procedural aberrations, Criminal Petition is allowed in part. The orders dated 20 August 2026 and 25 August 2026 stand obliterated….The matter is remitted back to the concerned Court to pass an order afresh on the application filed under Section 307 of Cr.P.C and regulate its procedure… taking the issue to its logical conclusion. While so doing, the Court shall bear in mind the observations made in the course of this order."

The Court clarified that the remand is for the trial court to pass fresh orders in accordance with the law alone and not the initiation of hearing afresh.

“…No further hearing, only passing an order afresh..”, the court orally clarified.

Earlier, before the granting of pardon to Pradosh, the Karnataka High Court's judgment on August 13 dismissed a petition filed by Kannada actor Darshan (accused No. 2) challenging the trial court's refusal to allow him to file objections to Rao's application to turn approver.

The trial court had then held that, at the stage of considering an approver application, the persons concerned are the accused seeking pardon, the prosecution and the court, and that the other co-accused have no right to participate.

Rao was granted pardon subsequently and made an approver on August 25 by the trial court.

Soon thereafter, Pradosh had urged the trial court] to record his statement immediately, saying that the co-accused have no right to postpone examination of approver any further. Appearing before the court, the counsel for Pradosh also submitted that he was being subjected to severe pressure.

In the aftermath, the Bengaluru Court had on August 28 directed that accused-turned-approver Pradosh S Rao shall be examined as a prosecution witness on September 2 in the Renukaswamy murder case.

Before the trial court, actor Darshan, accused no. 2, had sought an adjournment before the examination of Pradosh until September 2, stating that they were filing an appeal against the order granting conditional pardon to Pradosh.

The Trial Court, hence, had directed to issue witness summons to Pradosh and issue intimation to Jail Authorities and Police Inspector of Kamakshipalya Police Station, in order to produce him physically before the Court on the said date.

On September 2, yet again, recording the evidence of approver Pradosh was deferred considering the pendency of Darshan's plea challenging the granting of pardon before the High Court.

Case Title: Darshan S v. State of Karnataka

Case No: Crl P 13595/2026

Citaion: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 340