Ex-Karnataka minister HD Revanna discharged from sexual harassment case

A court here on Monday discharged senior JD(S) MLA and former minister H D Revanna from a sexual harassment case registered in 2024.

XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate K N Shivakumar discharged H D Revanna from the case registered in Holenaraseepur town police station, Hassan district.

"This is not a fit case to condone the delay in lodging the complaint or initiation of prosecution in respect of the offence punishable under section 354A of IPC (sexual harassment ) alleged against accused No.1 U/Sec.473 Cr.PC. Accordingly, this court declines to take cognisance of said offence punishable under section 354A of IPC as against accused No.1," the court said.

 

"As such, the accused No.1 is discharged from the offence alleged against him in this case under section 354A of IPC," it further added.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court, after hearing Revanna's plea to quash the case against him, had referred it to the trial court to consider whether the four-year delay in lodging the complaint could be condoned.

Sexual harassment allegation against Revanna surfaced, as multiple rape and sexual abuse cases were registered against his son and former Hassan MP Prajawal Revanna.

One of the complainants in the Prajwal Revanna case had made sexual harassment charges against H D Revanna, who is the son of former PM H D Deve Gowda.

Prajwal Revanna has already been convicted in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases against him.

Cases against Prajwal Revanna came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving him were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26, 2024.