The Karnataka High Court delivered a pointed message to Prajwal Revanna on Monday—mere procedural delays for others won’t be his ticket out of jail.
As Revanna returned for a second round of bail arguments, Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur made it clear: the court isn’t swayed by stays against co-accused when “cogent material” exists against the primary suspect.
“Unless you show something extraordinary… can bail be granted?” the judge asked, signaling that Revanna’s path to temporary freedom won’t be smoothed by the legal limbo others may be in.
Revanna stands at the center of four explosive cases, triggered by the circulation of over 2,900 sexually explicit videos online, some allegedly showing assaults on multiple women. The first complaint came from a domestic worker who said she was raped multiple times starting in 2021, and later blackmailed with recorded footage.
In a Bengaluru trial court, Revanna now faces a host of criminal charges—rape, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, and illegal distribution of private images. His initial bail plea was rejected by the High Court last October, with the Supreme Court later echoing the denial.
Still, his legal team argued Monday that fresh grounds now exist: a filed chargesheet, a stalled trial for others, and an unreasonable delay in prosecution. “How long can I be expected to continue like this?” his counsel asked, referring to a near four-and-a-half-year stretch since the alleged assaults.
But the State wasn’t buying it. Special Public Prosecutor BN Jagadeesha countered that the bail bid lacked new merit, reminding the court that “he is the main accused” and that the highest court in the land has already ruled against him.
Justice Yerur agreed to hear the matter in full on April 15—but his tone left little doubt: unless something “extraordinary” surfaces, Revanna’s stay in custody is far from over.
