The Karnataka High Court granted anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna on Tuesday in a kidnapping case connected to sexual abuse allegations against her son, Prajwal Revanna, a suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader.
Justice Krishna S. Dixit issued the order, urging against a media trial and stating that unnecessary arrests of women should be avoided. While the order is yet to be published on the Court’s website, Justice Dixit mentioned that he addressed all the State’s arguments against granting anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna. He emphasized that women, as the “hub” of the family in India, should not be unnecessarily arrested in criminal cases.
The Court was unconvinced by the State’s claim that Bhavani Revanna was uncooperative, noting that she had answered all 85 questions during interrogation. The police cannot expect her to respond in a specific manner. The State had previously alleged that Bhavani Revanna provided false answers to mislead the investigation, an argument the Court rejected.
Earlier, Bhavani Revanna was granted interim anticipatory bail with conditions, including staying away from Mysore and Hassan districts where the crime allegedly occurred. The Court has now made this bail final, reiterating that she cannot enter these districts except for investigation purposes.
Bhavani Revanna is accused of kidnapping a woman who was sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna to prevent her from filing a complaint. Prajwal Revanna is currently under arrest for allegedly assaulting multiple women and recording the acts. Videos of these assaults, captured in over 2,900 clips, surfaced after pen drives were distributed in public places in Karnataka. Following this, Prajwal Revanna fled to Germany but was arrested upon his return to India on May 31. His custody was recently extended by a trial court in Bengaluru until June 18.
Both of Prajwal Revanna’s parents are accused of kidnapping a woman assaulted by him. HD Revanna, Bhavani Revanna’s husband, was also arrested but later released on bail. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a plea to cancel HD Revanna’s bail, which is pending before the High Court. HD Revanna’s petition to quash the case against him is also pending.
Bhavani Revanna’s petition for anticipatory bail, initially granted on June 7 and extended on June 14, was finalized today by the High Court.
