Supreme Court rejects bail plea of former Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna in rape case
The Supreme Court last week rejected bail for ex-Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna who is charged with multiple counts of sexual assault. The charges date back to April 2024, when the second phase of the Karnataka Lok Sabha elections was about to begin and a series of allegedly explicit videos surfaced featuring Revanna, amplifying public outrage and litigation.
SC Denies Bail to Prajwal Revanna in Assault Case
Revanna moved a bail application on counts of various section charges under the Indian Penal Code, including Section 376, rape and counts of sexual harassment and voyeurism. His defence was represented by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi. The counsel of the defence argued before the court that the case did not initially mention a charge under Section 376. Emphasising the seriousness of the accusations, a Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to grant bail to Revanna. This judgment came out after the Karnataka High Court itself declined to grant bail on 17th October, 2024 also with a plea that the seriousness of the case cannot be a light matter.
Karnataka police arrested Revanna, 33 on May 31 when he landed at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport after returning from Germany. Before his arrest, Interpol had issued a "Blue Corner Notice," when Revanna left the country just days after the polls in his constituency. Currently, he is charged under three sexual assault cases along with related offenses.
The Janata Dal (Secular) has suspended Revanna in April 2024 in response to the allegations and public outrage. The case against the former MP is going ahead in Karnataka and the court is not softening its stance on the allegations.
