New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by former MP Prajwal Revanna against an order passed by the Karnataka High Court, which declined to grant him bail in cases in connection with sexual assaults of multiple women. The cases were brought to light after leak of purported videos ahead of Lok Sabha election. Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
The matter came up before a bench comprising justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma. Revanna has filed the petition in the apex court through advocate Balaji Srinivasan. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Revanna, said that the allegations are serious but there are two-three factors and added, "the complaint does not talk any Section 376 issue..." He said his client had contested an election to the MP, which he lost due to this matter.
"You are so powerful…" Trivedi retorted. Rohatgi replied that the chargesheet in the matter has been filed. "I was abroad. I came back and surrendered. Chargesheet is filed now. I was an MP earlier. I contested for MP. I lost because of all this..." Rohtagi contended.
However, the bench made it clear that it is not keen to entertain the petition.
"Dismissed," Trivedi said.
Rohatgi asked the court whether his client can apply for bail after 6 months.
Trivedi did not allow the request and instead replied, "the court is not saying anything".
Prajwal's father H D Revanna was also arrested in connection with this case. He was later granted bail. Prajwal's mother Bhavani Revanna, also named as accused in a complaint, has secured the anticipatory bail.
The special leave petition filed by Revanna has challenged the order passed by the high court on October 21. The high court had rejected his bail plea.
Justice M Nagaprasanna of the high court had said that charges levelled against him primary facie depicted wanton lust, depravity of senses which have got a chilling effect on the society.
In May, Prajwal was arrested from Bengaluru airport by CID's SIT on his return from Germany. He was holed up in Germany for 35 days after hundreds of explicit videos surfaced allegedly featuring him with multiple women. He had lost the election by over 40,000 votes.
