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The Supreme Court of India on Monday rejected a bail petition filed by suspended Janta Dal (S) leader Prajwal Revanna. This decision comes in the wake of serious allegations of rape and sexual assault levelled against him. The court, constituted by Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, heard the arguments presented by senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Revanna. Rohatgi attempted to mitigate the severity of the accusations, highlighting that the complaint did not specifically mention Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to rape. However, Justice Trivedi responded by pointing out the existence of multiple other complaints against Revanna, suggesting a wider pattern of alleged misconduct.
The denial of bail follows an earlier decision by the Karnataka High Court on October 21, which also rejected both regular bail and anticipatory bail applications submitted by Revanna. This demonstrates the serious nature of the allegations and the legal challenges he faces. On August 24, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), entrusted with investigating four cases of sexual assault and harassment against Prajwal Revanna, submitted a 2,144-page chargesheet to the special court handling cases involving MPs and MLAs. This was the first of four chargesheets to be submitted, highlighting the extensive nature of the investigation.
The chargesheet specifically accuses Revanna of the rape of a woman who previously served as domestic help for his family. This particular accusation has contributed to the high profile nature of the case. Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and son of former minister H D Revanna, holds a significant political lineage. This family connection has drawn further media attention to the case, raising the stakes for both Revanna and the legal proceedings. The Supreme Court's decision to deny bail is likely to further complicate Revanna's legal position and increase the scrutiny surrounding the ongoing investigation.
Source: Sexual harassment case: Supreme Court rejects bail plea of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna