K’taka HC reserves Prajwal Revanna’s bail plea order in sex scandal case

Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court on Thursday reserved the order on the bail plea submitted by Prajwal Revanna in the sex scandal case following the completion of submissions.

The Special Public Prosecutor also submitted that Prajwal is yet to hand over his cell phone to the authorities while counsel for Prajwal made a submission pleading to grant him bail as he is in jail for four months.

The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order as Prajwal Revanna remains to be lodged at the Central Prison in Bengaluru.

Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi, appearing for Prajwal Revanna, pleaded with the court to grant bail for him by imposing any conditions. He further submitted it is a political conspiracy against Prajwal while the rape incident has taken place three to four years ago.

“If the crime of rape was committed, why the complaint was not lodged then,” the counsel pleaded.

The counsel stated that the lodging of the complaint against Prajwal was malicious in nature. “Prajwal is responding to the investigation and he is in the prison for four months. Hence, the bail should be granted to him,” the counsel argued.

Countering this, the Special Public Prosecutor Ravi Varma Kumar submitted to the court that the accused Prajwal has still not handed over his phone to the investigating authorities.

“The accused had destroyed evidence. Immediately after an FIR was filed against him. He flew off to a foreign location and absconded,” he stated.

He submitted that Prajwal is an influential person and if he comes out, he will influence the witnesses and should not be granted bail.

After listening to arguments and counterarguments, the bench reserved the order.

Former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson, Prajwal Revanna was arrested at the Bengaluru International Airport in the early hours of May 30, when he was returning from Germany after his grandfather H.D. Deve Gowda and uncle H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is also Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, made a public appeal that he has to come and face authorities.

His father, JD-S legislator Revanna and mother Bhavani Revanna were jailed and are currently out on bail in the kidnap and rape case linked to the sex video scam. His younger brother, JD (S) MLC Suraj Revanna, who was jailed for allegedly sexually assaulting male party workers, is also out on bail