Today, On 9th September, The Karnataka High Court, under Justice M. Nagaprasanna, ordered an in-camera hearing for the bail plea of Prajwal Revanna. Justice Nagaprasanna emphasized that this measure is crucial to prevent any “ignominy” to the victim involved in the case. In-camera hearings are held privately, ensuring confidentiality and protecting the dignity of the parties involved.
Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court, On Monday, ordered that the hearing for the bail application of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, in connection with a rape and sexual assault case, will be conducted “in-camera.”
Justice M. Nagaprasanna emphasized that this closed-door hearing is essential to protect the victim from any “ignominy.”
Additionally, the Court instructed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), responsible for investigating the case, to submit a copy of the chargesheet that filed in the trial court last month.
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Justice Nagaprasanna stated,
“This case must be heard in-camera; it cannot be addressed in open court. I will need to review the chargesheet before proceeding with the in-camera order,”
Last month, Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar, representing the SIT, requested the court to conduct the bail hearing for Prajwal Revanna privately due to the serious sexual assault allegations against him. Kumar expressed concerns that discussing the case in open court could inadvertently expose the victim’s identity.
On Monday, Kumar shared that he felt uncomfortable reading the details in the chargesheet.
In response, Justice Nagaprasanna emphasized,
“It’s not just about discomfort, an in-camera hearing is necessary to protect the victim and ensure no ignominy is caused.”
Revanna’s counsel, Prabhuling Navadgi, informed the court that he had no objection to conducting the hearing in-camera. He also requested access to the chargesheet, noting that the rape allegation was made later during the investigation, leading to the addition of Section 376 of the IPC to the FIR. Navadgi argued that he needed to review the chargesheet, or at least the portion where the victim first made the rape allegation.
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However, Justice Nagaprasanna clarified that the accused would only receive a copy of the chargesheet once the trial court formally takes cognizance of it.
The High Court scheduled the next hearing on Revanna’s bail application for September 12.
On August 24, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is handling four cases of sexual assault and harassment against Prajwal Revanna, submitted a 2,144-page chargesheet for the first of these cases. The chargesheet filed before the special court designated to hear cases involving MPs and MLAs. Revanna has been charged with the rape of a woman who previously worked as a domestic help for his family.