Former Karnataka minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Revanna (middle) with his wife Bhavani Revanna (left) and his son Prajwal Revanna (right). | @iPrajwalRevanna / X
Bengaluru: Bhavani Revanna, the mother of suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna, was granted anticipatory bail by the Karnataka High Court on Friday in relation to an abduction case, according to the Hindustan Times.
The abduction case is connected to accusations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna, who was defeated on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha elections from Karnataka's Hassan constituency.
Bhavani Revanna was ordered by the court to appear on Friday at 1 pm in front of the Special Investigation Team's investigating officer. While granting anticipatory bail, Judge Krishna S. Dixit stated that the ruling should not "be celebrated" because it was not an award, Scroll.in reported.
On May 31, Prajwal Revanna was taken into custody on charges of sexually assaulting multiple women. His police custody was extended by a Bengaluru court on Thursday till June 10.
The suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader was originally charged with sexual harassment on April 28, and a separate rape complaint was filed against him on May 2. On May 8, a new rape case was brought against him.
Following the allegations, the former MP was suspended from the Janata Dal (Secular) on April 30. The party is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
A complainant stated that she was abducted by Janata Dal (Secular) MLA HD Revanna, the father of Prajwal Revanna, in order to keep her from testifying against his son.
HD Revanna was detained on May 4, but she was released on bail ten days later. On May 30, the Special Investigation Team issued Bhavani Revanna with a notification regarding the woman's kidnapping.
She was asked to be present at her home on June 1 so that the team may interview her. However, she was not there when the investigation team arrived at her home in Holenarasipur, Hassan district, on June 1. According to The Hindu, an additional chief metropolitan magistrate issued her a non-bailable warrant.
During the High Court hearing on Friday, Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar alleged Bhavani Revanna was the mastermind of the kidnapping. The court instructed her not to enter the Hassan district or the
The court ordered her not to enter the Hassan or KR Nagar taluks of the adjoining Mysuru districts so that she could not influence the probe. The court also kept the non-bailable warrant in abeyance till further orders.