The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to seek bail from the sessions court, not the high court, in a case involving rape and sexual assault charges.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar emphasized that the high court had previously rejected Revanna’s bail plea in October 2023, and any subsequent request must begin at the trial court level, especially since the petitioner claims a “notable change in circumstances.”
Revanna’s counsel, Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, argued that the long delay in trial proceedings warranted a reconsideration for bail. He also noted that the initial complaint was filed nearly four years after the alleged incident.
However, the state government, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar and Additional SPP BN Jagadeesha, argued that delays were due to Revanna’s repeated adjournment requests and changes in legal representation.
“It will be appropriate to relegate the petitioner to exhaust his remedy before the trial court and reserve liberty in favour of the petitioner to approach this court thereafter,”
— Justice SR Krishna Kumar
Background:
Revanna, who was arrested in May 2024 upon returning from Germany, has been in custody since. He faces multiple charges of rape and sexual assault filed by three women, and was previously denied regular and anticipatory bail by Justice M Nagaprasanna in October last year.
The court’s directive clears the legal path for Revanna to approach the sessions court first, maintaining procedural discipline and legal consistency in light of prior bail denials.