A Karnataka court on Thursday granted interim bail to JDS leader HD Revanna, who faces charges of sexually assaulting a woman employed in his household. Revanna’s son, Prajwal Revanna, a JDS MP, was also named in the complaint.
The court has mandated a bail bond of Rs 5 lakh along with surety and imposed specific conditions. The primary bail plea is set for a hearing on Friday. The court instructed HD Revanna to refrain from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses. Previously, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the state government, arrested Revanna on May 5 in connection with a kidnapping case tied to the sexual abuse allegations. The 66-year-old son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was released on conditional bail in this case on Tuesday.
According to the complaint, the woman was sexually abused and later allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal Revanna. Prajwal, whose explicit videos allegedly depicting sexual abuse went viral, has reportedly fled abroad to evade arrest. Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice against the 33-year-old, who left the country on April 27, the day after the elections.
Amidst these allegations, JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda announced on Thursday that he will forgo his birthday celebrations on May 18, citing the “difficult situation” the family is facing.
