Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Ex-JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna in Multiple Sexual Harassment Cases

A court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who faces multiple charges of rape and sexual harassment. Prajwal, currently in jail, is under investigation in four separate cases. Explicit videos allegedly involving him surfaced before the recent elections, resulting in his suspension from JD(S).

A court here on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual harassment in multiple cases.

Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat of the Special Court for People's Representatives here, dismissed the petition seeking anticipatory bail in the second sexual assault case registered against him.

Prajwal Revanna is currently lodged in Parappana Agrahara Jail here.

Four separate cases have been registered against the 33-year-old grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, all of which are being investigated by the SIT.

Prajwal had failed in his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the recent polls.

The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26.

JD(S) suspended him from the party following the cases filed against him.

In the first case registered against him at the Holenarasipura Town police station in Hassan on April 28, Prajwal is accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid. He is listed as accused number two, while his father and local MLA, H D Revanna, is the prime accused.

The second case against Prajwal Revanna was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on May 1 after a 44-year-old former member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat accused Prajwal of repeatedly raping her.

The third case pertains to rape of a woman in her 60s from Mysuru's K R Nagara, who was also a domestic help. The 20-year-old victim's son had initially filed a kidnap case, alleging abduction of his mother, at the K R Nagar police station on May 2. In this kidnap case, the SIT had arrested H D Revanna, who is currently out on bail, and had questioned Prajwal's mother Bhavani Revanna, who has got anticipatory bail.

The fourth case was registered against Prajwal Revanna, accusing him of sexual harassment, on June 12 at cyber crime police station of CID in Bengaluru. In this case he has been booked for sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, and violation of privacy of IT Act. The complainant in this case is a woman, who was allegedly sexually harassed over a video call.

(With inputs from agencies.)