The case, registered on 28 April at the Holenarasipura town police station, involves allegations of sexual assault by Revanna and his son, Prajwal against a 47-year-old house help.
Published May 20, 2024 | 5:20 PM ⚊ Updated May 20, 2024 | 5:27 PM
File photo of HD Revanna after being released from jail.
A Bengaluru court on Monday, 20 May, granted bail to JD(S) MLA and former Karnataka Minister HD Revanna in a sexual assault case.
The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court had previously granted interim relief to the 66-year-old politician. Judge Preeth J refused to hear objections from SIT and ordered a conditional bail to Revanna.
The case, registered on 28 April at the Holenarasipura town police station, involves allegations of sexual assault by Revanna and his son, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, against a 47-year-old house help.
The complainant had claimed that the father-son duo had sexually abused her at the 66-year-old MLA’s house.
#Karantaka: @JanataDal_S MLA #HDRevanna was granted bail by a 42nd ACMM court in sexual harassment case on Monday.
After listening to the argument of both the sides, the court had reserved its judgement on bail petition on 20 May. Judge J Preeth granted a condition bail to… pic.twitter.com/sCxO0ErnsQ
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 20, 2024
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Congress government, is probing the alleged sexual abuse charges against Prajwal and related cases.
The SIT had sought custody of the former minister. The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (ACMM) earlier, grated interim relief to Revanna on 16 May.
Two cases — kidnapping and sexual abuse — have been registered against Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.
The SIT had sent two notices to Revanna and Prajwal to join the investigation, but both of them skipped it.
A Special Court for Elected Representatives on Monday, 13 May, had granted bail to Revanna in a case where he is accused of having kidnapped one of the women allegedly sexually abused by Prajwal, as seen in the leaked videos.
Following this, he was released from the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara at Anekal town on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Tuesday.
As per the conditions of the bail, the accused JD(S) MLA has been asked not to leave the country, and cooperate with the investigation. He is restricted from entering KR Nagar taluka in Mysuru and has been asked not to influence the witnesses.
He has also been asked to keep a bond of ₹5 lakh with two witnesses.
Both Revanna and his accomplice Satish Babanna were booked by KR Nagara Police Station in Bengaluru on 2 May for kidnapping the woman.
The case was registered following a complaint by the woman’s son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna’s son Prajwal. The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources said.
The SIT arrested his accomplice Babanna on 3 May and subsequently rescued the woman allegedly from a farmhouse in Mysuru’s Hunsur taluk on 4 May, hours before the arrest of Revanna.
Revanna was arrested from the residence of his father Deve Gowda on the same day and was remanded into four-day police custody.
He was later sent into judicial custody. Towards the end of his judicial custody, he secured conditional bail from a special court for MPs and MLAs.
Prajwal Revanna is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm, with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaging in a slugfest.
The 33-year-old reportedly left for Germany on 27 April, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka and is still at large.
He was BJP-JD(S) alliance’s joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase on 26 April.
An arrest warrant has been issued against him in the sexual assault case. Interpol has also issued a Blue Corner Notice against Prajwal in an effort to bring him back to the country to face the law.
Deve Gowda recently broke his silence over the sexual abuse charges levelled against his grandson Prajwal and said he has no objection to the action taken against him if found guilty.
However, he said the cases against his son Revanna, who is facing charges of sexual harassment and kidnap of a woman, were “created”, but refrained from commenting further, as the matter was subjudice.
Recently, Gowda had announced his decision not to celebrate his birthday and requested well-wishers and party workers to wish him from wherever they are.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with PTI inputs)
