The Karnataka High Court has rejected the bail plea filed by expelled Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) leader and former Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna, who is serving a life sentence in a rape case. The case involves the sexual assault of a domestic worker at a farmhouse in Holenarasipura in Hassan district.
The hearing on the bail petition was held on Monday. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Revanna, argued that his client would not flee the country if granted bail. He said that when Revanna left India on April 24, 2024, no case had been registered against him at that time. The first case was filed on April 28, four days after his departure, the lawyer stated.
Luthra also said that Revanna has already taken legal steps to prevent the circulation of obscene videos and has filed complaints related to the case, including one against his former car driver and another against the election agent in Hassan. However, he said those complaints have not been heard yet.
The High Court, however, refused to accept the plea, noting that the trial court had already convicted Revanna based on evidence and had imposed a life sentence in August 2025. The Special Court for People’s Representatives had also ordered a fine of Rs 10 lakh, of which Rs 7 lakh would be given to the survivor as compensation.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, was convicted in one of the four rape cases registered against him.
