Bengaluru: The high court Wednesday rejected the petition filed by jailed actor Darshan’s wife Vijayalakshmi challenging the order passed by the trial court to grant approver status to Pradoosh S Rao, accused no. 14 in Renukaswamy murder case.The petitioner had claimed that Pradoosh had filed the application on Aug 5 and the next day, the prosecution had accepted it by filing a short memo, which shows there are some tacit arrangements between accused no. 14 and the prosecution in filing the application.It was argued that Pradoosh had registered a mobile with prison authorities, claiming it is that of advocate Santosh, but he was actually using it to talk to his wife. Therefore, the decision to file the application to become an approver is motivated and cannot be countenanced in law, the petitioner stated. However, Justice V Srishananda refused to accept those contentions, pointing out that the approver is yet to be examined and Darshan, accused no. 2, needs to cross-examine him in the trial.The judge added that any accused can file such applications at any stage, prior to the passing of the final order in a given criminal trial.As regards the acceptance of the short memo filed by the prosecution the very next day, the judge said there’s no illegality in the order passed on Sept 16, granting approver status to accused no. 14.In fact, such an application is meant to be entertained by the court; it is only between the proposed approver, the court and the prosecution, and the co-accused does not have any right in opposing it, the judge noted.The judge recalled that before Supreme Court, the prosecution has undertaken to complete the examination of 60 witnesses in a year.However, accused no. 2 (Darshan) is at liberty to cross-examine the approver, and all such questions which are legally permissible in cross-examination may be urged by the petitioner in accordance with law, Justice Srishananda stated.
