The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by expelled Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, who sought the transfer of his pending trials in three additional rape cases to a different court.
Revanna, already convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a domestic worker, had contended that the ongoing cases should not be heard by the same judge who had previously sentenced him in the initial matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi rejected Revanna's argument, emphasising that judicial officers are professionally trained to evaluate each case exclusively on its own merits and evidence. "There is no reason to doubt that trial courts' presiding officer is swayed by the fact that he found the petitioner guilty in another case and obviously the decision in pending cases will be confined on the basis of the evidence in cases pending trial. No inference shall be drawn against the petitioner (Revanna) based on the previous trial," the bench observed while declining to order the transfer of the cases.
This ruling follows an earlier decision by the Karnataka High Court, which had denied Revanna bail in the rape case for which he stands convicted. During arguments in the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Revanna, maintained that the former MP posed no flight risk. He pointed out that Revanna had left the country on April 24, 2024, at a time when no cases were registered against him, with the first FIR being filed only four days later. Luthra also highlighted that several complaints lodged by Revanna—including those related to destruction of evidence and allegations against his former driver and election agent—remained unheard.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, was convicted in August 2025 by the Special Court for People's Representatives for raping a house-help at a farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district. The court imposed a life sentence along with a fine of Rs 10 lakh, out of which Rs 7 lakh was directed as compensation to the survivor. As of now, the former JD(S) leader continues to face trials in three additional rape cases that are still pending.
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