Karnataka HC directs Prajwal Revanna to seek bail from sessions court in rape case
Bengaluru, Jul 9 (PTI): The Karnataka High Court (HC) on Wednesday directed suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna to approach the sessions court for bail in the high-profile rape case filed against him.
The court clarified that Revanna could return to the HC if necessary, after the lower court considers his plea.
Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who presided over the matter, observed that it would be more appropriate for Revanna to exhaust all remedies before the trial court before seeking intervention from the HC.
This marks the second attempt by Revanna to secure bail in the case.
Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, who appeared for Revanna, argued that the court was well within its powers to hear the bail application directly.
However, the bench maintained that the correct legal course would be to first move the sessions court.
Following Navadgi’s request, the HC directed the trial court to decide on the fresh bail application within 10 days from the date of its filing.
Revanna is the primary accused in four separate FIRs involving allegations of sexual assault, voyeurism, and circulation of obscene material. The cases emerged after over 2,900 video clips allegedly depicting sexual violence were widely shared online and via social media platforms.
The first FIR was filed in April 2023 by a domestic worker employed at Revanna’s family-owned farmhouse. She accused him of repeatedly raping her and threatening to leak footage of the abuse if she spoke out. According to her complaint, the assaults began in 2021.
The Bengaluru trial court has already framed several charges against Revanna, including rape, criminal intimidation, voyeurism, and distribution of private images without consent.
Revanna’s earlier plea for bail was dismissed by the HC in October 2023. Subsequently, the Supreme Court also declined to grant him relief. In March 2024, he filed a fresh bail application in the HC, citing a "change in circumstances”.
His legal team argued that the prolonged delay in commencing the trial had resulted in a violation of his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.
Opposing the bail plea, the state -- represented by Special Public Prosecutors Senior Advocate Prof Ravi Varma Kumar and B N Jagadeesha -- argued that any delay in the trial was attributable to Revanna and his family, not the prosecution.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the HC declined to entertain the bail plea at this stage and directed Revanna to file it before the sessions court. The court further clarified that all legal contentions remain open and can be raised at the appropriate forum.
The matter will now be decided by the sessions court, which has been asked to take up the application promptly.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
