Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 7: The Karnataka High Court on Monday expressed serious reservations about granting bail to former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is embroiled in a high-profile sexual assault and obscene video scandal. While hearing his second bail petition, the court remarked that without presenting “something extraordinary,” there was little basis to consider his release.
The observations came from a bench led by Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur, who questioned the merit of Revanna’s plea, especially in light of the gravity of the accusations and the stay on trial proceedings concerning other co-accused in the case.
Prajwal Revanna is facing a slew of grave charges, including repeated sexual assault, harassment, criminal intimidation, voyeurism, and unauthorized distribution of explicit recordings. The court emphasized that the case against him is backed by "convincing circumstances," stating, “Unless you show something extraordinary, how can bail be granted?”
Justice Yerur scheduled the next hearing for April 15, allowing the petitioner’s legal team more time to present their case.
Revanna’s counsel argued that the situation has evolved since the initial petition — citing the filing of the chargesheet and the halted trial of other accused individuals as new factors supporting his bid for bail.
However, Special Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadeesha strongly opposed the plea, noting that the Supreme Court had already denied Revanna bail and affirming that there was no substantial change in the case’s circumstances. “Prajwal is the principal accused and is involved in four different cases,” he told the bench, requesting time to submit formal objections.
The trial court in Bengaluru recently framed charges against Prajwal under a series of serious legal provisions, including sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, and evidence tampering, as well as a section under the Information Technology Act for illegal circulation of explicit content.
The chargesheet, running over 2,100 pages, was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the scandal and submitted to the Special Court for MLAs and MPs in August 2024.
Revanna’s legal troubles began intensifying after his dramatic arrest at Bengaluru International Airport on May 30, 2024, upon his return from Germany. His return followed public appeals by his grandfather — former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda — and uncle, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, urging him to face the law.
The scandal has rocked the influential Revanna family. Prajwal’s father, JD(S) MLA H.D. Revanna, was also jailed in connection with the case. His mother, Bhavani Revanna, currently out on bail, has been implicated in related kidnapping and rape charges. His younger brother, MLC Suraj Revanna, who was accused of sexually assaulting male party workers, is also out on bail.
To date, four criminal cases have been registered against Prajwal Revanna in connection with the sexual assault video scandal. All previous bail petitions in these cases have been rejected at various judicial levels, including the High Court and the Supreme Court.
The legal proceedings continue to draw national attention as the case unfolds.