SC dismisses ex-JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna's bail plea in rape case

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed bail plea of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna in rape and sexual harassment case.

The former MP knocked on the apex court's door after the Karnataka High Court recently rejected his bail plea. Justice M Nagaprasanna also rejected two anticipatory bail pleas of the former Hassan MP.

A bench of Justices Dela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma rejected the plea and observed that Revanna is a very influential person.


Appearing for Revanna, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said that a charge sheet has been filed in the case and section 376 of the IPC was not there in the initial complaint.

The bench said it could not interfere with the Karnataka High Court's October 21 decision denying him bail.

Rohatgi sought the liberty to approach the court after six months. The bench, however, said it could not say anything about that and dismissed his plea.

In August 2024, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing four cases of sexual assault and harassment against Prajwal, submitted a 2,144-page chargesheet.

The former JDS MP, who lost the recent Lok Sabha election as the NDA candidate from Hassan, was arrested on May 31, when he returned to the country after nearly five weeks in hiding.

Prajwal, a grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and the younger son of senior JDS leader HD Revanna, had left the country after elections took place in his constituency on April 26.

His MLA father, HD Revanna, who represents Holenarasipur in the assembly, has been battling a case of alleged abduction of a sexual assault victim from her home in Mysuru district. He is currently out on bail.

Prajwal is currently in judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Jail for allegedly sexually abusing several women and video-recording the alleged crime.

The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen-drives containing his alleged videos were reportedly circulated in Hassan ahead of the Lok Sabha polls on April 26.

SIT officials arrested Prajwal soon after he landed at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport from Germany on May 31. He had left for Germany on April 27, a day after polls in Hassan.

A "blue corner notice" seeking information about his whereabouts was issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation.