# Karnataka HC allows Darshan’s physical presence for key witness cross-examination 2026-09-18T21:27:27+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Karnataka High Court on Friday allowed Darshan, the Kannada actor accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, to be physically produced before the trial court during cross-examination of material witnesses. Justice V Srishananda disposed of a petition by Darshan's wife Vijayalakshmi, directing the trial judge to fix two or three consecutive dates for cross-examination of key witnesses identified by the defence. The court ordered that cross-examination must be completed on those dates without adjournments, with necessary security arrangements. The prosecution will examine 60 witnesses including the seven the petitioner named, and witnesses listed by the state. Darshan's physical presence will not be allowed during chief examination. The court clarified its directions apply only to this case, citing sensitivity and peculiarity, and are not to be treated as precedent. The trial court had earlier rejected Darshan's request and directed video conferencing, which the defence argued faced connectivity issues hampering consultation with counsel. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same court order allowing Darshan's physical presence during cross-examination of material witnesses. Timesofindia leads with the procedural directive, foregrounding the court's ban on adjournments and its 'not a precedent' caveat. LiveLaw leads with the case number and detailed instructions, including in-camera proceedings and the prosecution's undertaking to examine 60 witnesses. Neither source frames the story as favouring or opposing the government, both are straight court-reporting. The coverage implies a trial now under tighter judicial management. The key figure to watch is how many of the 60 witnesses the prosecution names as 'material' for cross-examination. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with procedural directive and court's 'not a precedent' warning - livelaw.in (neutral report) Begins with case number and lists specific witness counts and conditions Tags: Bengaluru, Darshan, Karnataka High Court, Renukaswamy murder case, V Srishananda Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-hc-allows-darshans-physical-presence-for-key-witness-cross-examination/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-hc-allows-darshans-physical-presence-for-key-witness-cross-examination/#story-in-brief