The Supreme Court on Friday observed that Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa would be at liberty to renew his bail plea if there was no substantial progress in the trial in the Renuka Swamy murder case within a year.
The Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Vijay Bishnoi directed the Karnataka government to ensure that 60 key prosecution witnesses were examined within the next 12 months, while ordering the trial court to conduct proceedings on a day-to-day basis to expedite the trial.
The Apex Court was hearing a petition filed by Darshan seeking enforcement of prison entitlements and basic facilities available to undertrial prisoners under the jail manual. His earlier interim bail had been cancelled along with that of other co-accused persons.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Darshan, submitted that despite seven months having elapsed since cancellation of bail, the prosecution had examined only 10 witnesses out of the proposed 272 witnesses cited in the chargesheet. He argued that the pace of trial was unreasonably slow and further contended that the actor was being kept in a segregated prison enclosure described as a quarantine cell, thereby restricting his interaction with other inmates. On this basis, he sought consideration of bail in the event of continued delay in trial.
The Karnataka government, represented by Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, informed the Court that all facilities admissible to an undertrial prisoner had been extended to Darshan. The State clarified that the enclosure in which he was lodged had previously functioned as a quarantine facility during the pandemic and denied allegations of isolation. The State further informed the Court that only 60 witnesses were proposed to be examined on priority basis as they were crucial to establishing the role of the accused persons.
Expressing concern over the slow pace of proceedings, the Bench observed that the trial had progressed inadequately since charges were framed on November 3, 2025. The Court noted that even though the defence was entitled to conduct cross-examination, repeated and prolonged adjournments could not be permitted to derail expeditious adjudication in a serious criminal prosecution.
The Bench stated that if the matter continued at the present pace, even the examination of 60 witnesses would consume an inordinate amount of time. It directed the trial court to ensure regular recording of evidence and avoid adjournments on frivolous grounds. The Court also observed that proceedings could be conducted on a day-to-day basis if necessary to ensure effective progress in the sessions trial.
The Supreme Court further took note of the fact that the presiding officer conducting the trial was holding additional charge because the regular court was vacant. In this regard, the Bench requested the Karnataka High Court to examine the issue administratively at the earliest so that the trial is not adversely affected due to judicial vacancies or additional charge arrangements.
The Court ultimately directed the State to make all possible efforts to complete examination of the 60 material witnesses within one year and recorded that Darshan would be entitled to revive his bail plea if there was no substantial progress in the criminal trial during that period.
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