The Karnataka Excessive Court docket Wednesday declined to switch two instances towards former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, involving rape and sexual harassment prices, from the present trial court docket to a different court docket.
Revanna was already convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment in one other case by the particular court docket for instances pertaining to MPs/MLAs. In his petition earlier than the excessive court docket, the previous Hassan MP alleged bias by the presiding officer.
He had earlier equested the switch of instances, however the trial court docket in Bengaluru rejected the plea, noting that the particular court docket is particularly designated to strive offences towards elected representatives.
Whereas dismissing Revanna’s plea, the excessive court docket bench of Justice M I Arun noticed Wednesday that the particular court docket is the suitable discussion board for instances involving elected officers and that the trial court docket had rightly denied Revanna’s switch utility.
“The observations within the judgment might sound harsh, however this can’t be construed as bias on the a part of the presiding officer,” famous Justice Arun.
Revanna sought the switch of the 2 instances from the particular court docket beneath Part 408 of the Legal Process Code (CrPC), which grants a decide the ability to switch felony case from one court docket to a different.
He raised issues about judicial bias, citing sure observations made by the decide listening to his instances, and famous that the identical decide had initially convicted him within the case. He additionally acknowledged that the decrease court docket had not utilized its thoughts whereas deciding his earlier petition for the switch of the instances.
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Nevertheless, Justice Arun didn’t agree along with his contentions. The excessive court docket acknowledged that the trial court docket had disapproved of the adjournments sought by Revanna’s facet and the obvious “delay techniques”. Justice Arun additionally famous that if this had been thought-about a motive for switch, related petitions for switch may come up in all felony instances.
The prosecution had beforehand raised the allegation of delays within the proceedings brought on by Revanna whereas opposing his bail plea within the excessive court docket in July. The particular public prosecutor then acknowledged that Revanna was the one who sought adjournments at each stage.
The grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Revanna has been in jail since Could 31 final yr after his arrest. On August 2 this yr, a particular court docket in Karnataka sentenced him to life imprisonment for the rape of a lady following the conviction the day before today. He’s nonetheless on trial for 3 different instances involving rape and sexual harassment prices.