BENGALURU: The Additional City Civil and Sessions Court on Wednesday granted pardon to Pradosh S Rao, accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, and made him an approver in the case.
Earlier the High Court had quashed the trial court’s order and directed it to reconsider Rao’s application to be approver afresh, without referring to the probation officer’s report.
Judge Sujata M Sambrani allowed Rao’s application filed under Section 307 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The prosecution had filed a memo accepting his request to become an approver.
Rao will have to disclose the complete circumstances relating to the alleged offences and the involvement of every person concerned when he is examined as a witness.
He will remain in custody until the conclusion of the trial. If he conceals material facts, gives false evidence or violates the conditions, he can be made an accused again and prosecuted for the alleged offences as well as for giving false evidence.
The court noted that the prosecution has cited 272 witnesses in the charge sheet, but only three are eyewitnesses. It also recorded the prosecution’s submission that some material witnesses had either failed to support crucial aspects of the case or had turned hostile.
The prosecution argued that Rao’s evidence could assist in establishing the circumstances of the alleged crime.
According to the charge sheet, Rao allegedly accompanied other accused persons to the shed where Renukaswamy was assaulted and was allegedly involved in the assault and subsequent disposal of the body. The court noted that Rao had admitted his involvement while seeking pardon and had undertaken to make a complete disclosure.
Plaint against Pradosh for violating prison rules
Bengaluru Central Prison officials have filed a complaint with the Parappana Agrahara police against Renukaswamy case accused Pradosh Rao and jail warder Mounesh H Kori. Rao is accused of violating prison rules by communicating with his wife using a phone number registered in the name of a former inmate who has been released from the prison.
The police said that, according to a petition submitted by Central Prison Superintendent BM Kotresh through Jailor L Umashankar, undertrial prisoners are allowed to register three phone numbers to communicate with their family members and advocates.
The authorities received information that Rao had registered his wife’s mobile number in the name of an advocate, Santhosh, and was using the number to speak with her. The number he used was allegedly registered in the name of another prisoner, Vishnuvardhan, who was released on July 26, 2026, the police said.
