SC Issues Notice To H.D. Revanna, Agrees To Hear Karnataka Govt's Appeal In Sexual Harassment Case

Bengaluru: The case of Prajwal Revanna, the former Hassan MP and grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has come back to haunt his father and former Karnataka Minister H D Revanna, with the Supreme Court issuing notice to him with respect to outraging the modesty of a domestic help, who is also one of the victims of Prajwal Revanna.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had exonerated Revanna in the same case filed by the SIT formed to probe into the allegations of sexual assault by Prajwal Revanna, where one of the four victims had later told the SIT that she was molested by Revanna also.

However, the government challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court. The bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandra, while agreeing to examine the Karnataka government appeal, has asked Revanna to file his reply.

While expressing its displeasure over delay in challenging the High Court order dated Nov 19, 2025, the Supreme Court bench also noted that the complainant had levelled separate allegations against the father-son of Prajwal Revanna and Revanna.

The case against Revanna emerged after multiple rape and sexual abuse cases were registered against Prajwal Revanna, who has since been convicted in one of the four cases against him. One of the complainants in those cases alter accused H D Revanna of sexual harassment. The allegations against Prajwal REvanna came to light after pend drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving him surfaced in Hassa ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In its order on Nov  19, the High Court had quashed Sec 354 IPC (Outraging modesty of a woman) against Revanna, but retained the charges Under Sec 354A (secual harassment), stating that the allegations disclosed an offence of sexual harassment rather than outraging a woman's modesty.

The court had refused to quash the FIR in its entirety, observing that the charges against H D Revanna should be framed strictly on the basis of the complainant's original statement and pointed to discrepancies between the initial complaint and the subsequent police report, particularly regarding allegations against Prajwal Revanna.