Fan murder case: SC to take up plea challenging accused Pradosh’s approver status

The Supreme Court will hear Vijayalakshmi, wife of jailed actor Darshan, challenging orders allowing accused Pradosh S Rao to become an approver in the Renukaswamy murder case. The petition questions his pardon and statement recording, upheld earlier by the Karnataka High Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to take up a petition filed by jailed actor Darshan’s wife, Vijayalakshmi, questioning the trial court and Karnataka High Court orders allowing accused No 14, Pradosh S Rao, to turn approver in the fan murder case and record his statement.

A Division Bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala will hear the petition on Wednesday, in which Vijayalakshmi has challenged the proceedings concerning Pradosh being considered an approver and his statement being recorded in the case.

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The trial court had earlier permitted Pradosh to become an approver and ordered that his statement be recorded. The decision was subsequently challenged before the Karnataka High Court, which upheld the Sessions Court’s order. Vijayalakshmi has now approached the Supreme Court questioning both the trial court’s decision and the High Court order upholding it.

Pradosh is accused No. 14 in the Renukaswamy murder case, in which Darshan and several others are accused. The prosecution has alleged that Renukaswamy was murdered in Bengaluru in June 2024. Pradosh, a close aide of actor Darshan, applied to become an approver (prosecution witness) in August 2026.

The trial court accepted the plea, granting him a conditional pardon under the requirement that he make a full and truthful disclosure of the events. Pradosh appeared before the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court and recorded his detailed statement under oath for nearly three hours, detailing the events at the Pattanagere shed on the night of the murder.

Actor Darshan and his wife Vijayalakshmi challenged the approver status in the Karnataka High Court, which upheld the decision allowing Pradosh to testify while noting that co-accused retain the right to cross-examine him during the trial.

Subsequently, appeals were moved before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s ruling. Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa, actress Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others are currently undergoing trial in Bengaluru’s City Civil and Sessions Court for the June 2024 abduction, torture, and murder of 33-year-old pharmacy worker Renukaswamy.