On July 11, the Supreme Court cautioned the Karnataka government against politicizing the criminal investigations related to sexual assault cases involving former parliamentarian Prajwal Revanna. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was considering an appeal by the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Prajwal’s mother, Bhavani Revanna.
The bench queried whether there were grounds to cancel Bhavani Revanna’s bail but refrained from making a decision immediately. Instead, the Supreme Court issued a notice on the plea and urged all parties involved not to politicize the issue.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the SIT, criticized the bail granted to Bhavani as “most unfortunate.” However, the bench stressed the importance of separating legal reasoning from political agendas, citing the Karnataka High Court’s rationale based on Bhavani’s age and the absence of direct evidence against her.
“The law will take its course. This isn’t a discharge; she will face trial. We must examine if the High Court’s decision to shield her from arrest was justified… Let’s keep politics out of this,” the court remarked.
Bhavani Revanna was implicated in a case involving the alleged abduction of a sexual assault victim connected to Prajwal Revanna, who himself faces accusations of assaulting several women and is currently in custody.
The bench noted that Bhavani was not directly named in the complaint and questioned the extent of her involvement in her son’s alleged crimes, emphasizing the need for concrete allegations supported by statements under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Last month, the Karnataka High Court had granted conditional anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna, considering her cooperation with the investigation.
Both of Prajwal Revanna’s parents, HD Revanna and Bhavani Revanna, were accused of kidnapping a woman who had allegedly been assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.