Prajwal Revanna told the Karnataka High Court that the rape case and other charges against him were filed due to political motives. His counsel argued that multiple complaints surfaced suddenly and the investigation was biased.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday heard suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna’s appeal challenging his conviction and life sentence in a rape case filed by a domestic worker.
The case came before a Division Bench of Justices KS Mudagal and Venkatesh Naik, and during the hearing, Revanna’s senior counsel Sidharth Luthra strongly argued that the entire criminal action against his client was driven by politics and not facts.
ALSO READ: Rape Case: Prajwal Revanna Seeks Bail Again Before Special Court
Luthra said the allegations were suddenly filed together after years of silence from the complainant. He stated,
“Three years, this lady (rape survivor) is quiet. In a flurry … all four cases come at the same time. It is political vendetta and nothing else.”
He argued that the timing of the cases clearly showed that the matter was handled with a political motive.
To support this argument, Luthra pointed out how the State handled another criminal case against Revanna’s former driver. This driver is accused of leaking sexually explicit videos, which later led to the registration of four sexual offences cases against Revanna.
Luthra said the driver’s anticipatory bail was denied in mid-2024, yet the police allegedly made no real effort to investigate him. He argued that
“Police are letting the man roam free, no investigation, the case is lying as it was. If this does not reek of political vendetta, I am asking myself what does?”
Luthra also claimed that the investigation against Revanna had major procedural lapses. He rejected the prosecution’s claim that Revanna may have destroyed his Apple iPhone or left it in another country. According to him, the police never followed the proper legal process to ask for the device.
ALSO READ: BREAKING | Prajwal Revanna Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in Rape Case
He highlighted that the police did not issue a notice under Section 91 of the CrPC to demand the phone from Revanna and also did not try to get any information about the device from Apple using the IMEI number.
The State government had argued that Revanna was a powerful political figure who could influence witnesses or tamper with evidence. Responding to this, Luthra emphasized that Revanna’s party is not in power in Karnataka and that this theory was baseless.
He said,
“The government in power in the State is not the (party) of which he (Revanna) is part. Government is Congress. He is JD(S). He and family do not have influence. When you say that people have helped him, I want to ask. Have you prosecuted anybody for destruction of evidence? No. There is no such charge! You can’t make statements in thin air!”
In 2024, three rape cases and one sexual harassment complaint were lodged against Prajwal Revanna after more than 2,900 videos showing alleged sexual assault were widely circulated online and on social media.
ALSO READ: Prajwal Revanna Rape Case: Special Court Reserves Verdict for July 30
The case currently under appeal involves a complaint filed by a maid who worked for the Revanna family.
In August 2024, the trial court convicted Revanna in this case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The High Court will continue hearing his appeal on December 3.
Revanna has been in jail since his arrest in May 2024. The other criminal cases filed against him are still pending trial.
Click Here to Read Our Reports on Prajwal Revanna
