The Karnataka High Court on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna in connection with a fourth case of sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation.
Revanna’s counsel, Advocate G. Arun, sought to withdraw the plea, citing that a chargesheet had already been filed. However, Justice M. Nagaprasanna refused the request, questioning how a withdrawal could be allowed on the day orders were set to be pronounced.
Dismissing the plea, the court emphasized that its decision was based entirely on the complaint, not the chargesheet. “You can rest assured that no word from the chargesheet has been relied on. The dismissal is solely based on the complaint and Supreme Court precedents,” the judge stated.
The case, registered in June this year, is part of an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police into multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Revanna. The FIR in this matter includes charges under Sections 367(2), 354(A), 354(D), 354(B), and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 66E of the Information Technology Act.
This is the fourth case involving similar allegations against Revanna. Previously, on October 21, the High Court had rejected one bail plea and two anticipatory bail pleas filed by him in three other cases involving charges of rape, sexual assault, and criminal intimidation. Furthermore, on November 11, the Supreme Court denied bail to Revanna after he challenged the High Court’s earlier rulings.
The dismissal of his latest anticipatory bail plea further complicates Revanna’s legal troubles as he faces mounting allegations of serious crimes.