Karnataka High Court: Should Prajwal Revanna Seek Fresh Bail in Obscene Videos Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Karnataka High Court orders fresh bail application.
- Decision required within 10 days.
- Prajwal Revanna faces serious allegations.
- Previous bail petitions were denied.
- Legal proceedings are ongoing.
Bengaluru, July 9 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court has instructed Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and the main suspect in the case involving sexual assault and obscene videos, to file a new bail application in the trial court. The court has mandated that the lower court reach a decision on this matter within 10 days.
Previously, both the trial and higher courts had denied bail requests from Prajwal Revanna, who is not only related to Deve Gowda but is also the son of H.D. Revanna, a former minister and current MLA of the JD(S).
The ruling was issued by a bench led by Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, who remarked that Prajwal may return to the High Court if his plea is unsuccessful in the Sessions Court.
Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, representing Prajwal Revanna, contended that the High Court had the discretion to hear the bail matter directly rather than sending it back to the trial court. He asserted that the High Court should have the authority to evaluate the bail petition.
Nonetheless, the bench instructed him to first seek recourse in the lower court.
In his latest bail application, Prajwal Revanna argued that circumstances have changed since his prior bail rejection last year, warranting a fresh assessment of his plea.
The bench has directed the trial court to reach a conclusion within ten days, following a request from Prajwal Revanna's legal team.
The former JD(S) MP had previously petitioned the Karnataka High Court on June 24 for bail, highlighting delays in trial proceedings and the change in circumstances since his incarceration.
Prajwal Revanna faces serious allegations, which include sexual assault, repeated rape, blackmail, and criminal intimidation.
His counsel, Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, argued that bail is warranted now due to the significant delay in the trial court proceedings since the last bail denial.
He also pointed out that the complainant initiated the case four years after the alleged incident, and accusations against Prajwal arose only during her testimony.
However, the prosecution contended that the delays in trial are attributable to Prajwal Revanna, who has continuously summoned defense witnesses, slowing the case's progress.
Currently, Prajwal Revanna is incarcerated in Bengaluru Central Prison.