Bengaluru, August 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In a significant development in the Renukaswamy murder case, a Bengaluru trial court on Tuesday permitted accused No. 14, Pradosh S. Rao, to turn approver and disclose information about the alleged crime, a move that could have implications for the ongoing trial involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and others.
Judge Sujatha Madivalappa Sambhrani allowed Rao’s application seeking pardon and permission to become an approver, subject to conditions laid down by the court.
Under the order, Rao will remain in judicial custody until the legal process concerning his approver status is completed. The court directed him to disclose all truthful facts within his knowledge relating to the case.
The court also cautioned that concealing material facts or giving false evidence could lead to perjury proceedings. In such an event, his approver status could be withdrawn and he could again face prosecution as an accused.
A copy of the order has been forwarded to Rao through prison authorities.
Rao had earlier told the court that his decision to become an approver was voluntary and that he had neither been influenced nor subjected to pressure or coercion. He had moved the application through his advocate in the first week of August, offering to disclose facts connected with the case and seeking pardon.
His statement could provide further details about the events surrounding the alleged abduction and murder of Renukaswamy and may have a bearing on the ongoing proceedings.
The case relates to the death of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan from Chitradurga whose body was found in Bengaluru in June 2024. Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others were arrested and charge-sheeted in connection with the alleged abduction and murder.
According to the prosecution, Renukaswamy was allegedly abducted and brought to Bengaluru over obscene messages he had allegedly sent to Pavithra Gowda. Investigators have alleged that he was assaulted and tortured inside a shed before dying from his injuries. His body was subsequently dumped near a stormwater drain on the outskirts of the city.
The trial is underway before the Bengaluru Sessions Court. The Supreme Court had earlier cancelled Darshan’s bail, ordered his immediate re-arrest and directed that he not receive VIP privileges in prison.
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