The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna seeking suspension of his life sentence or interim bail pending appeal in a rape case. The court held that the gravity of the offence and the existence of multiple similar cases made it unfit for relief.

Revanna, the former MP from Hassan, was convicted in August this year for repeatedly raping a 48-year-old domestic worker employed by his family for a monthly salary of ₹10,000 and a bag of rice. He is currently serving a life term in that case.

Court cites seriousness of charges

A division bench of Justices KS Mudagal and Venkatesh Naik dismissed his plea, stating:
“Weighing the material on record, gravity of the offence, and effect on other cases … this is not a fit case for granting suspension of sentence or bail.”

The bench emphasised that the legal threshold for suspension of sentence after conviction is significantly higher than the standard applied to undertrials. Once guilt is established by a court, the presumption of innocence no longer applies, it noted.

Prosecutor warns of risk to survivors and witnesses

Special Public Prosecutor Ravi Varma Kumar, appearing for the State, argued that Revanna faces three additional FIRs involving rape or sexual assault, with complainants from economically vulnerable backgrounds. He said earlier bail pleas were rejected in those cases on similar grounds, and that granting relief now risked witness intimidation and interference with ongoing trials.

The prosecution maintained that allowing Revanna out of custody could compromise evidence in the remaining cases.

Defence cites long trial timelines

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Revanna, submitted that the pending trials may take years and that continued incarceration during that period would be unfair. The High Court observed that Revanna is free to seek an expedited hearing in those matters rather than seek suspension of an already recorded conviction.

Background of the case

Revanna, the son of former minister HD Revanna and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, was arrested in May 2024 at Bengaluru airport. He was convicted in the first of four sexual assault cases registered against him in 2024. The remaining three cases continue to be under trial.

He has consistently maintained that the allegations are politically motivated