A significant development has taken place in the Renukaswamy murder case, with accused Pradosh applying for an application at the CCH-59 court to turn approver and provide evidence in the case. In the petition, Pradosh has described the sequence of events around the incident in an 11-page application and described his role as well as details of other accused persons.
According to the document, Pradosh told the court that he now regrets his involvement in the case and wants to assist the investigation by being a prosecution witness. The petition describes his contact with the actor Darshan, whom he had known since 2003. The two first met in cricket during the National College ground in Jayanagar.
Pradosh went to Darshan’s residence on 8 June 2024, the petition says. And Darshan took him to Stony Brooks restaurant. Pawan came to the restaurant at 3 pm and Darshan showed him something on his mobile phone, Pradosh told us. He also heard Darshan speaking to Pavithra Gowda over the phone.
According to the application, Darshan instructed Pradosh to drive towards Pavithra Gowda's residence. They reached her residence at 4:30 pm, before walking to the shed where Renukaswamy was present.
Pradosh claimed that when he entered the shed Renukaswamy was sitting inside with several other accused persons. The petition claims that an argument and assault took place and Renukaswamy was then questioned about messages and images sent through social media.
The application also claims that Darshan was part of the attack and that Pradosh saw Renukaswamy suffering injuries. Pradosh has stated that he attempted to intervene and asked the other accused to stop the assault. He also claimed that he was directed to bring Pavithra Gowda near Renukaswamy.
The petition also contains allegations of the actions of some other people at the site. Pradosh has described these events as part of what happened in the shed. These are allegations in his petition which will have to be reviewed by the court and investigated by the authorities.
According to the petition, Darshan and Vinay left the place at around 5:30 pm; others remained behind. Pradosh is said to have returned to Darshan's residence to inform him about Renukaswamy's condition. He told Darshan that Renukaswamy had died.
The application also alleges that Darshan was shocked and asked Pradosh for help after learning about the death. Pradosh has also claimed that after the accused discussed the situation and tried to decide what should be done next.
According to the petition, Pradosh later spoke to Inspector Vinay and said that a person had died. The inspector told him that the matter was serious and that the accused should surrender before the police.
Pradosh had asked Raghavendra, Nandish and Pawan to surrender to the authorities, the application states. He has also alleged Vinay is threatening him not to reveal the location of the shed.
The petition further claims that after Raghavendra agreed to surrender, the group moved the body and later went to Kamakshipalya police station to surrender. These allegations will be subject to judicial scrutiny and investigation.
Pradosh has said that now he feels sorry for his role and that he wants to give evidence as an approver. His application seeks permission to become a prosecution witness, which will ultimately be decided by the court and will depend on what evidence he is prepared to present.
The Renukaswamy murder case has attracted a lot of public attention since it was brought to light by Kannada film actor Darshan and other accused persons in the past 8 days. And the case has been thoroughly investigated by the prosecution through evidence, testimony and other material gathered during the process.
The latest development of Pradosh’s approver application could become important if the court allows him to testify for the prosecution. If accepted, his account, if provided, might provide investigators and the court with more insight into what happened before and after Renukaswamy's death.
Pradosh’s petition, however, does not constitute proof of guilt. The court will examine the application and other evidence, and will decide if any charges are made against a person. And accused persons are entitled to their legal rights and presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
However, the 11-page petition has attracted renewed attention and could become an important document in the ongoing legal process. There will be more to come as Pradosh’s application is evaluated and his claims are made in his application.
