Supreme Court rejects Prajwal Revanna’s plea to shift trials in pending rape cases

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by expelled Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna seeking transfer of his pending trials in three additional rape cases to a different court.

Revanna, who has been convicted and handed a life sentence for raping a domestic worker, had argued that the ongoing cases should not be heard by the same judge who sentenced him in the first matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi rejected the argument observing that the judicial officers are trained to assess each case strictly on its 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 on 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 said while refusing to transfer the cases.

The development comes after the Karnataka High Court earlier denied Revanna bail in the rape case in which he has already been convicted. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Revanna, had argued that the former MP would not flee and noted that when he left the country on April 24, 2024, there were no cases registered against him; the first FIR was filed four days later. Luthra further submitted that several related complaints filed by Revanna, including those involving the destruction of evidence and allegations against his former driver and election agent, had not yet been heard.

Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, was convicted by the Special Court for People’s Representatives in August 2025 for raping a house help at a farmhouse in Holenarasipur, Hassan district. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 10 lakh, with Rs 7 Lakh directed as compensation to the survivor. The former JD(S) leader still faces three more rape cases currently pending trial. (ANI)