Prosecution Backs Conditional Approval to Make Accused an Approver in Renukaswamy Murder Case

Bengaluru: A significant development has emerged in the Renukaswamy murder case, with the prosecution informing a Bengaluru court that it has no objection to considering the 14th accused, Pradosh, as an approver, subject to strict conditions.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Prasanna Kumar submitted a consent memo before the court stating that Pradosh could be granted pardon only if he makes a complete and truthful disclosure of all facts related to the case.

The prosecution clarified that Pradosh would be required to reveal not only his own role but also the involvement of every other accused in the alleged murder. A full and honest account of the conspiracy and events surrounding the crime would be mandatory for him to qualify as an approver.

Meanwhile, counsel representing Vinay, the 10th accused, informed the court that his client is also planning to seek approver status.

Senior advocate Ranganath Reddy argued that an accused cannot directly seek to become an approver by filing an independent application. He contended that only the prosecution has the authority to initiate such a request and determine which accused should be granted pardon after assessing the facts and evidence.

He further pointed out that an accused seeking to become an approver must remain in judicial custody until the completion of the trial, and the legal consequences of such a decision should be clearly explained to the applicant.

Responding to the submissions, the SPP informed the court that the accused and his counsel were fully aware of the legal implications before filing the request.

The court will decide on August 10 whether objections raised by the remaining accused against Pradosh’s application should be heard before proceeding further.