The Supreme Court on Friday (May 15, 2026) expressed disappointment over the “slow” pace of the trial in the 2024 Renukaswamy murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, and granted him liberty to renew his plea for bail if there is no “substantial progress” in the case within a year.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi observed that the status report submitted by the trial court in Bengaluru revealed that the prosecution had examined only 10 witnesses over the past seven months, despite proposing to examine nearly 150 witnesses.
Supreme Court asks Karnataka for report on Darshan’s prison amenities plea
“We are of the view that the progress of the trial is extremely slow. At this pace, it is likely to take a considerable amount of time before even the 60 material witnesses are examined. If there is no substantial progress in the trial within one year, it shall be open to the petitioner to once again seek bail before the trial court,” the Bench observed.
The top court was hearing Mr. Darshan’s plea, contending that the trial was likely to be prolonged and that his continued incarceration would irreversibly affect his livelihood and fundamental right to practise his profession. He also alleged discriminatory treatment in custody, claiming he had been denied basic amenities in violation of prison rules.
