Bengaluru: In an important verdict, a Bengaluru court on Monday acquitted JD(S) MLA and former minister HD Revanna in an alleged sexual harassment case. This decision was given by Judge KN Shivakumar, in which Revanna was declared innocent by dismissing the case registered under section 354A of IPC. The HD Revanna sexual harassment case had been a topic of political and legal discussion for a long time.
The court said in its order that there was a lot of delay in filing the complaint and on this basis the prosecution’s case became weak. The court held that concrete reasons for the delay were not revealed, hence it is appropriate to give the benefit of doubt to the accused. Earlier, the High Court had quashed the charges under Section 354 of the IPC, after which Revanna had also demanded acquittal under Section 354A.
The case pertains to a complaint by a domestic help lodged at Holenarsipur Town police station in Hassan district, accusing HD Revanna of sexual harassment in April 2024. On the basis of the complaint, a case was registered against him under sections 354 and 354A of IPC. In the same case, he was earlier arrested and sent to judicial custody.
HD Revanna is the son of former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP HD Deve Gowda and also the father of former MP Prajwal Revanna. It is noteworthy that Prajwal Revanna has been convicted in the rape and sexual video scandal and has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, after both the sections were dropped in the HD Revanna sexual harassment case, he has been completely acquitted in this case. This decision is being seen as an important development in the politics of Karnataka and its political implications can also be seen in the coming times.