Obscene video case: Court rejects Prajwal Revanna’s second bail petition
Bengaluru: The Special Court for MP/MLA cases in Bengaluru on Friday rejected the bail petition filed by former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna in connection with the alleged rape of a domestic worker. This was the second time Prajwal had approached the court seeking bail.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, had filed the fresh bail petition claiming a change in circumstances since his earlier plea was rejected last year.
The court, however, dismissed the petition outright. Vikram Huilgol, counsel for Prajwal, submitted that his client has been in custody for 14 months and pointed out that another accused in the case, H.D. Revanna — Prajwal’s father and a JD (S) MLA — had obtained a stay order from the High Court. Therefore, he argued, bail could also be granted to Prajwal.
However, the counsels representing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) opposed the petition and urged the court not to entertain the bail request. After hearing both sides, the court passed an order rejecting the bail plea.
Earlier, on July 9, the Karnataka High Court had directed Prajwal Revanna, the prime accused in the obscene video case, to approach the trial court for a second round of bail and instructed the lower court to decide on the matter within 10 days.
Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, representing Prajwal Revanna, had argued that the High Court had both the authority and the discretion to directly hear the bail petition, rather than sending the matter to the trial court. He urged the High Court to decide the matter itself. However, the bench directed him to first approach the trial court.
Following this direction, Prajwal Revanna, submitted a new bail application to the trial court, citing changed circumstances since the previous rejection.
Prajwal Revanna is currently lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison. A total of four rape cases have been registered against him.