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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (May 15) rejected interim bail to actor Darshan in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case and directed the trial court to complete the hearing and dispose of the case within one year.

A two-judge bench led by Justice J.B. Pardiwala issued the order, stating that the trial must be conducted on a priority basis starting from today. The court also directed that Darshan should be provided all basic facilities in prison, similar to those given to other inmates.

The court further observed that Darshan should not file any bail application for the next one year. However, it said that if the trial is not completed within one year, he may be considered for bail after that period.

In earlier hearings, Darshan had informed the Supreme Court about alleged issues in prison, including irregularities and harassment or threats from fellow inmates. Following this, the court had sought a report from the prison department.

The Special Public Prosecutor submitted a report to the Supreme Court and presented arguments, including video evidence, denying all allegations made by Darshan.

During the hearing, it was also noted that out of 270 witnesses in the case, only 10 have been examined so far. Darshan had sought interim bail on the grounds of delay in trial, stating that bail should be considered until the remaining witnesses are examined. The Supreme Court had earlier asked for a detailed report on the matter before passing the latest order.