Special court dismisses JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna’s plea for release in alleged sexual assault case

BENGALURU: A special court for people’s representatives has dismissed a review petition filed by Legislative Council member Suraj Revanna, seeking his release in the case of alleged sexual assault on a JD(S) worker. A single-bench of Judge Santosh Gajanana Bhat reviewed the petition filed by the accused Suraj Revanna on Tuesday.

According to the police FIR, Revanna was charged under sections 377 (carnal intercourse against the order of nature), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC for the offence allegedly committed on June 16, 2023, as per the complaint.

Suraj Revanna was arrested on June 23, 2023, after his younger brother and expelled JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna was remanded to judicial custody by a special court in Bengaluru over separate allegations of sexually assaulting multiple women.

In December 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by former MP Prajwal Revanna seeking the transfer of his pending trials in three additional rape cases to a different court.

Prajwal 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, CJI 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 the 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 said while refusing to transfer the cases.

The development came after the Karnataka High Court earlier denied Prajwal Revanna bail in the rape case in which he has already been convicted. (ANI)