No bail for Prajwal Revanna! Supreme Court denies bail to former JD(S) MP in sexual assault case

In a major legal development, the Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual assault. The case, filed under Prajwal Revanna v. State of Karnataka, was firmly dismissed by a bench comprising Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma after a brief hearing.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Revanna, argued that while the allegations were serious, there was no specific allegation of rape in the complaint. Rohatgi suggested that conditions would improve for Revanna with his upcoming campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, alleging that the case had affected his election chances.

Despite the defense’s arguments, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Karnataka High Court in October, which had also denied Revanna’s bail. When Rohatgi asked whether his client could apply for bail again after six months, the court replied cryptically: “We will say nothing.”

This case stems from a series of allegations against Revanna, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) filing an extensive 2,144-page charge sheet in August, which is the first in a series of four cases of sexual assault and harassment he is facing. In particular, the SIT is investigating claims that Revanna raped a woman who worked as a domestic worker in his household.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the anticipatory bail granted to Bhavani Revanna, Prajwal’s mother, in a related case involving the alleged kidnapping of the complainant-survivor.