Karnataka HC rejects Prajwal Revanna’s bail plea in sexual assault case

The Karnataka High Court dismissed the bail plea of suspended Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader Prajwal Revanna in a sexual assault case. Revanna, the son of JD(S) HD Revanna and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is facing charges of rape and sexual abuse.

The Karnataka High Court had reserved its verdict on Prajwal Revanna's bail plea on September 19. A single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna had earlier heard arguments on Revanna's application in the first case and two anticipatory bail pleas related to subsequent complaints.

The cases against Prajwal Revanna

The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos, allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna, were reportedly circulated in Karnataka's Hassan, ahead of the voting for the Lok Sabha Elections there on April 26.

Prajwal Revanna was suspended from the JD(S) after cases were filed against him.

In the first case registered against him at the Holenarasipura Town police station in Hassan on April 28, Revanna was accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid. Prajwal Revanna was listed as accused number two, while his father and local MLA, HD Revanna, was the primary accused.

The second case against Prajwal Revanna was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on May 1 after a 44-year-old former member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat accused him of repeatedly raping her.

The third case pertains to rape of a woman in her 60s from Mysuru's KR Nagara, who was also a domestic help. The victim's son had initially filed a kidnap case, alleging abduction of his mother, at the K R Nagar police station on May 2. In this kidnap case, the SIT had arrested HD Revanna, who is currently out on bail, and had questioned Prajwal's mother Bhavani Revanna, who has got anticipatory bail.

The fourth case against Prajwal Revanna accused him of sexual harassment. It was filed on June 12 at cyber crime police station of CID in Bengaluru. In this case, he was booked for sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, and violation of privacy under the IT Act. The complainant in this case was a woman, who was allegedly sexually harassed over a video call.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)