The high-profile Renukaswamy murder case has taken a fresh legal turn, with accused persons approaching a Bengaluru court seeking to become approvers and testify in the case.
The development could have major implications for the prosecution, particularly because the accused seeking approver status are themselves facing serious charges in the 2024 murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and Pavithra Gowda.
The 59th Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru is scheduled to hear the pleas on August 10. One of the accused, Pradosh S, has approached the court seeking permission to turn approver. According to reports, he has also sought permission to appear through video conference while presenting his request.
The latest reports indicate that more than one accused has now expressed willingness to become an approver. If the court accepts such a request, the accused could be granted pardon subject to conditions and may then give evidence for the prosecution.
An approver is an accused person who agrees to disclose information about the alleged offence and the involvement of other accused in return for legal consideration, including a possible pardon. The decision, however, rests with the court, and simply filing an application does not automatically make a person an approver.
The move is significant because the case involves 17 accused, including Darshan and Pavithra Gowda. Bengaluru Police had filed a detailed chargesheet in September 2024, naming Pavithra as accused number one and Darshan as accused number two. The police alleged that Renukaswamy was targeted after he allegedly sent obscene messages to Pavithra on social media.
Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old resident of Chitradurga, was found dead near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru on June 9, 2024. Police investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Darshan, Pavithra and 15 others.
The prosecution has alleged that Renukaswamy was taken to a shed in Bengaluru, where he was assaulted. The police chargesheet contained thousands of pages and included statements from witnesses, forensic material and other evidence. The allegations against the accused are yet to be established in court.
Pradosh is among the accused named in the chargesheet. Police had earlier alleged that he was involved in arranging meetings between some of the accused and that money was allegedly distributed to people who initially attempted to take responsibility for the crime. These allegations form part of the prosecution’s case and will be tested during the trial.
The decision by accused persons to seek approver status therefore adds a new layer to an already closely watched trial. If their applications are accepted and their statements are considered credible, their testimony could potentially provide the prosecution with an insider account of events and the alleged roles of other accused.
For the defence, however, the credibility and legal admissibility of any such testimony would become important questions. An approver’s evidence is subject to judicial scrutiny and would have to be assessed alongside other material presented before the court.
The case has already gone through several important legal stages. Darshan and other accused were granted bail by the Karnataka High Court in December 2024. The Karnataka government subsequently challenged the bail order before the Supreme Court. The top court had expressed reservations about the manner in which the High Court exercised its discretion while considering the bail pleas.
The Supreme Court‘s intervention has kept the bail issue under scrutiny, while the trial proceedings continue separately. All 17 accused were reported to be out on bail following the High Court’s order.
The approver pleas now bring the focus back to the evidence and the alleged sequence of events surrounding Renukaswamy’s death.
For the victim’s family, the latest development could mean another significant moment in their long wait for the case to reach its conclusion. For the prosecution, statements from accused persons could potentially strengthen its case, but only if the court permits them to turn approvers and their testimony withstands legal scrutiny.
The immediate focus is therefore on the August 10 hearing, when the Bengaluru sessions court is expected to consider the requests. Until then, the applications remain just that, requests by accused persons seeking a different legal status in the case.
The court’s decision could determine whether their accounts become part of the prosecution’s evidence and potentially influence the course of the Renukaswamy murder trial.
