Bengaluru: The government has told the Karnataka High Court that it has rejected the request for serving home cooked meal to actor Darshan, who is the second accused in the Renukaswamy murder case.
A single member bench headed by M Nagaprasanna heard the petition filed by Darshan questioning the trial court's rejection of the petition seeking direction to the jail authorities to provide home meals, bedding and books to him.
Special Public Prosecutor Belliyappa said, "The request submitted by Darshan regarding providing him home cooked meals, bedding and books was reviewed and rejected on August 14. On the same day, this point was also brought to the notice of the petitioner."
Responding to this, advocate Sanjeevini Prabhulinga Navadagi, who pleaded for Darshan, said, "We have not received the copy of the order rejecting home cooked meal. We need to study the order and submit a response to it. Time should be given in this regard."
Following which, the bench adjourned the hearing to September 5.
During the earlier hearing, the court had instructed authorities to take a decision by August 20 and the application was heard today.
The bench pointed out that if the petitioner, Darshan's health deteriorates then there is a doctor in the jail and appropriate treatment can be arranged for him. "This is not about Darshan or any remand prisoner. How should we differentiate here? Every undertrial prisoner is a citizen, be it the case of undertrials or those declared guilty. We have millions of pretrial detainees who need a good diet," the bench said.
The bench said that food can be given under Section 30 of the State Prisons Act but the government should be humane not only to Darshan but to all the undertrials. Government may consider Darshan's request but why is there a distinction among the prisoners on the basis of rich, poor and influential, it said adding that here everyone is an undertrial.
According to Section 322 of the Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2021, prisoners can be allowed specific food on medical grounds and this has to be decided by the medical officer. According to Section 855, doctor's advice is required for giving special food. If the inmate requires, there will be treatment along with hospital food based on the recommendation of the medical officer. At present, there is no nutritional deficiency and doctors too have not prescribed home meals for Darshan.
Milk, eggs, bread, vitamin C, calcium are being provided to Darshan. However, Karnataka State Prisons and Correctional Service Director Malini Krishnamurthy explained that Darshan's appeal was rejected because he is a murder accused.
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