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Darshan Faces Setback: High Court Upholds 'Pardon Witness' Order in Renukaswamy Murder Case
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News18•23-09-2026, 17:01
Darshan Faces Setback: High Court Upholds 'Pardon Witness' Order in Renukaswamy Murder Case
- •Actor Darshan faces a major setback as the High Court dismissed his petition challenging the 'pardon witness' order in the Renukaswamy murder case.
- •The High Court upheld the 59th Sessions Court's order, rejecting the petition filed by Darshan's wife, Vijayalakshmi.
- •Justice V. Srishananda's bench stated that there is a right to cross-examine Pradush, the pardon witness, and thus no interference with the trial court's order.
- •Darshan's lawyers argued that Pradush illegally used a mobile phone in jail and sought to become an approver after unauthorized communication.
- •The High Court judge sternly stated that a co-accused does not have the right to question a pardon witness, emphasizing the opportunity for cross-examination.
Key Questions Answered
The Karnataka High Court dismissed the petition filed by Darshan's wife, Vijayalakshmi, and upheld the 59th Sessions Court's order regarding the pardon witness.
Darshan's lawyer, Hashmat Pasha, argued that the 14th accused, Pradush, submitted a pardon witness application suo motu after illegally using a mobile phone in jail with the cooperation of staff, and spoke unauthorizedly using a released inmate's name.
Justice V. Srishananda stated that a co-accused does not have the right to question a pardon witness directly during that stage, but noted that the defense can question the witness's credibility and cross-examine them when they testify.
