BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday denied anticipatory bail to former MP Prajwal Revanna in connection with a rape case filed by a former member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat. Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over a single-judge bench, dismissed Revanna’s bail application, delivering a reserved order.
During the proceedings, Revanna’s counsel, G. Arun, sought to withdraw the anticipatory bail petition, arguing that a charge sheet had not yet been filed in the case. However, the court rejected this request, clarifying that its decision was based solely on the complaint filed by the victim, and not the absence of a charge sheet.
“You can rest assured that not a single word from the charge sheet has been relied upon. The application has been dismissed solely on the basis of the complaint and in line with Supreme Court rulings,” Justice Nagaprasanna was quoted as saying.
The allegations in this case date back to 2021, when the victim approached Revanna at his office in Hassan to discuss the need for girls’ hostel facilities at the BCM hostel. According to the complaint, Revanna asked the woman to return the following day, citing a busy schedule. When she returned, he allegedly threatened her with a gun, sexually assaulted her, and recorded the act on his mobile phone. The victim also claimed that Revanna coerced her into undressing during repeated video calls, recording the interactions, and threatening her with severe consequences if she reported the incident.
The woman filed a formal complaint with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 1, 2024, leading to the registration of the case by the Cyber Police Station of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Bengaluru. Revanna has been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape, criminal intimidation, sexual harassment, voyeurism, and assault to disrobe. Additionally, provisions of the Information Technology Act have been invoked for privacy violations.
This case is one of four rape complaints filed against Revanna, aged 33, across Bengaluru and Hassan districts. On November 11, the Supreme Court had also dismissed his bail applications related to other cases. As investigations continue, the mounting legal troubles have significantly impacted Revanna’s political career.
