The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday turned down Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna’s plea seeking suspension of life sentence imposed on him by a trial court in one of the four rape cases registered against him.
A division bench of Justice K S Mudagal and Justice Venkatesh Naik T ruled that the case was not fit for bail owing to the gravity of the offences. The bench also observed that multiple cases were pending against Revanna and there was a risk of witness tampering.
The judges also noted that the accused has an influential background and bail was not given to him during trials as well, adding that the victim had delayed reporting the assault due to this.
Revanna's lawyer alleges 'media trial'
Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Revanna in the rape cases, said the evidence presented against the ousted JDS leader were weak and the case was affected by a ‘media trial’.
Luthra questioned the authenticity of electronic evidence and highlighted the delay in filing the FIR. He also alleged lapses in forensic investigations. He also said the case was driven by a political vendetta.
Opposing Revanna’s bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar argued that granting relief to Revanna could put the victim and key witnesses at risk, pointing to previous attempts to intimidate or abduct them.
He emphasised the gravity of the alleged repeated sexual assaults on a vulnerable domestic worker during the lockdown, as well as Revanna’s purported lack of cooperation, including his alleged failure to hand over his mobile phone, as strong grounds to deny bail.
The High Court ultimately rejected the bail request and has listed his appeal for a final hearing on January 12, 2026.
Revanna convicted in one case
Prajwal Revanna was convicted in one of four separate cases involving sexual abuse and rape. The case involves a 48-year-old domestic worker who was employed at the family’s farmhouse in Holenarasipur, Hassan district. She was allegedly raped twice—once at the farmhouse and another time at the family’s Bengaluru residence in 2021. The assaults were reportedly recorded on the accused’s mobile phone.
