The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by expelled JD(S) leader and former Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, who sought to transfer the trials in his three pending rape cases to another court. Revanna had argued that the cases should not be heard by the same judge who convicted him in an earlier rape case.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi rejected his request, noting that trial court judges are fully capable of adjudicating each matter independently. “There is no reason to doubt that the presiding officer will be influenced by the earlier conviction. Decisions in the pending trials will be based solely on the evidence presented,” the bench observed, refusing to order a transfer.
The ruling follows the Karnataka High Court’s recent decision denying Revanna bail in the rape case for which he has already been convicted. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Revanna, argued that his client was not a flight risk and pointed out that when Revanna travelled abroad on April 24, 2024, no FIRs had been lodged against him. He also submitted that several related complaints filed by Revanna—including those alleging evidence tampering and accusing his former driver and election agent—were yet to be heard.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was convicted in August 2025 by the Special Court for People’s Representatives for raping a domestic worker at a farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₹10 lakh, of which ₹7 lakh was ordered to be paid as compensation to the survivor.
Despite the conviction, Revanna continues to face three additional rape cases, all of which remain under trial.
