Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa being escorted by the police.
Credit: DH Photo/B K Janardhan
Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday ordered issue of notices to the state government, the superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison and others in a petition filed by jailed Kannada film star Darshan seeking home-cooked food, clothes, bedding and books.
Justice S R Krishna Kumar adjourned the hearing to July 18, 2024, and directed the respondents to submit their responses. Senior advocate K N Phanindra, appearing for the actor, submitted that Section 30 of the Karnataka Prisons Act allows undertrial prisoners to maintain themselves or purchase/receive proper food, clothing, bedding and other necessaries subject to examination and such rules as may be approved by the Inspector General of Police (Prisons).
However, Special Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar submitted that the petitioner should have approached the IGP (Prisons) and the trial court before moving the high court. He also submitted that there was no provision in the prison manual to provide bedding and clothing for undertrial prisoners accused of murder.
Justice Krishna Kumar noted that prison rules had been amended and the petitioner’s counsel should submit a compilation of rules, regulations and instances where courts have accepted such requests. The court also said that aspects such as whether an undertrial prisoner has to approach the prison authorities in the first place or he can approach the trial court instead of the high court needs to be verified.
Darshan stated in his petition that he had lost several kilograms of body weight as he was unable to eat and digest the food provided in the prison. The actor said he was suffering from diarrhoea and that prison doctors had diagnosed it to be food poisoning.