The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday asked suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna to first approach the sessions court for bail in the rape case against him..Justice SR Krishna Kumar added that Revanna is at liberty to re-approach the High Court if needed, after the trial court decides on his bail plea. This is the second round of bail plea Revanna has filed in the matter.Representing Revanna, Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi maintained that it was open for the High Court to directly hear the matter. However, the High Court opined that it would be more appropriate for Revanna to first exhaust his remedies before the trial court. Therefore, it asked Revanna to go to the trial court.Revanna filed the second bail plea claiming that there has been a change of circumstances since the High Court's rejection of his earlier bail plea last year. On Navadgi's request, the High Court also directed the trial court to decide on Revanna's new bail plea within ten days after it is filed. .Revanna is the main accused in four cases registered after over 2,900 clips depicting the sexual assault of several women were circulated online, including on social media. The first of such cases was filed in April last year by a domestic help who used to be employed at the Revanna family's farmhouse. She has accused Prajwal Revanna of repeatedly raping her and threatening to leak visuals of the assault if she were to speak out about the rape, the first of such incidents allegedly having taken place in 2021. A trial court in Bengaluru framed various criminal charges against Revanna in the matter, including for rape, voyeurism, criminal intimidation and unauthorised circulation of private images..The Karnataka High Court had dismissed his first bail plea last October. The Supreme Court also refused to give him bail in the matter. In March this year, Revanna filed a second bail plea before the High Court. His counsel argued that there has been a change in circumstances that would entitle Revanna to bail. In this regard, it was argued by Senior Advocate Navadgi that there has been an undue delay in the trial of the case, leaving Revanna to languish in jail for an unreasonably long time. This violated his right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, Navadgi argued. .The State, represented by its Special Public Prosecutors (SPPs) - Senior Advocate Prof. Ravi Varma Kumar and BN Jagadeesha opposed the bail plea, maintaining that Revanna and his family were responsible for any delays in the trial.After hearing the parties, the High Court asked Revanna to move the trial court first.The matter will now have to be considered by the sessions court (trial court). The High Court clarified in its order today that all contentions in the matter remain open.
