# Karnataka high court rejects Darshan’s wife plea on approver status 2026-09-23T21:56:58+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Karnataka high court on Wednesday dismissed a petition by Vijayalakshmi, wife of jailed actor Darshan, challenging a trial court order granting approver status to accused Pradoosh S Rao in the Renukaswamy murder case. Justice V Srishananda ruled that any accused can seek approver status at any stage before final order, and that the co-accused has no right to oppose such an application. The petitioner argued that Pradoosh filed the application on August 5 and the prosecution accepted it the next day, suggesting tacit arrangements. The court rejected this, noting the prosecution's swift response aligned with the Supreme Court's direction to conclude the trial in a timebound manner. The court also dismissed claims about Pradoosh's mobile phone use in prison. Justice Srishananda stated that Darshan, accused number 2, is at liberty to cross-examine the approver in the trial. The prosecution has undertaken to complete examination of 60 witnesses within a year before the Supreme Court. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same outcome neutrally, with near-identical facts. The Times of India led with the rejection of the 'tacit arrangement' claim, while Deccan Herald foregrounded the court's reasoning on co-accused rights. Neither source overstates or omits key details. The balanced reading is that the court's decision is procedural, not a substantive finding on the murder case. The next concrete step is Darshan's cross-examination of the approver, pending trial progress on 60 witnesses within the year. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight reporting of court order and arguments, no slant. - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Straight reporting of court order and arguments, no slant. Tags: Darshan, Karnataka High Court, Renukaswamy murder case Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-high-court-rejects-darshans-wife-plea-on-approver-status/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-high-court-rejects-darshans-wife-plea-on-approver-status/#story-in-brief