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Supreme Court Dismisses Bail Plea of Suspended Janta Dal Leader Prajwal Revanna in Assault Case

On November 11, the Supreme Court dismissed the bail plea of suspended Janta Dal (S) leader Prajwal Revanna in a case involving allegations of rape and sexual assault. A bench comprising Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the petition, with Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Revanna.


Rohatgi argued that the initial complaint did not specify the offence of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He contended, “The complaint does not talk about Section 376 issue,” and mentioned that Revanna had cooperated with the investigation, having surrendered upon his return from abroad.


Justice Trivedi, however, noted that multiple complaints had been filed in the case. As Rohatgi sought clarification on whether a fresh bail application could be submitted after six months, Justice Trivedi declined to comment further.


The Supreme Court’s decision upholds an earlier Karnataka High Court ruling on October 21, in which Justice M. Nagaprasanna rejected both regular and anticipatory bail pleas by Revanna. The High Court reserved its order after a series of hearings, ultimately deciding against bail on the grounds of the gravity and nature of the charges.


Revanna faces serious allegations under multiple sections of the IPC, including Sections 376(2)(n) for repeated rape on the same woman, 376(2)(k) for rape while in a position of control or dominance, 506 for criminal intimidation, 354(a) for sexual harassment, 354(b) for assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe, and 354(c) for voyeurism. Additionally, he faces charges under Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, which addresses privacy violations.


Revanna, previously a Member of Parliament, claims the accusations have impacted his political career, stating that he lost an election as a result. Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court dismissed his plea without granting relief, reaffirming the High Court’s decision.


The case, Prajwal Revanna v. The State of Karnataka SLP(Crl) No. 15292/2024, underscores judicial caution in granting bail for serious offences, with the Supreme Court leaving open the possibility for future application while maintaining the current detention.






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