Senior Sidharth Advocate Luthra stated that Revanna was not given a meaningful hearing prior to the trial court giving him the harshest punishment available.
On November 13, Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, the attorney for suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, claimed before the Karnataka High Court that the conviction of Revanna in a rape case was not based on any substantial evidence and was influenced by a media trial.
Revanna's appeal contesting a trial court's decision to convict and sentence him to life in prison in a case where he is accused of repeatedly raping a domestic worker was being heard by a Division Bench consisting of Justices KS Mudagal and Venkatesh Naik.
Luthra argued on behalf of Revanna,
"There is no chain of custody connection or incriminating evidence in this case, and it is a full media trial. Regretfully, after restating the averments and reviewing the evidence, the (trial) court's main concern is that the woman sobs each time a question is posed (just look at the first paragraph of the contested ruling). It is regrettable, and I do understand. However, that cannot serve as the foundation for supposing the truth.
He contended that there was a delay in filing the complaint, inconsistencies in witness accounts, and a lack of significant evidence implicating Revanna.
"After three to four years, this offense is reported. The rape survivor's allegation is not recorded for at least 24 to 48 hours after she arrives at the police control room, he claimed.
He also mentioned that there were security flaws in the evidence that was gathered during the investigation, which might have led to evidence tampering.
This is a classic example where all samples and clothing had to be stored in a sealed cover in the police station locker, which is known as the malkhana in north India. Nothing is done (like that)! There is no examination of the Malkhana officer. The chain of custody has not been completed. This man, and here's the catch: prosecution witnesses 16, 17, 18, and 19 are so-called medical board members who actually attempted to measure him while he was aroused and compare data," he claimed.
Luthra further argued that after Revanna was found guilty by the trial court on August 1, he was not given enough time to effectively advocate for a lesser sentence.
"The judge in the trial court has sentenced me to the maximum sentence against each criminal offense without providing me with a meaningful hearing. The Honorable Judge renders this decision on August 1 and the sentencing on August 2. I was required by law to receive a meaningful hearing. Give me another chance if you must administer the harshest punishment possible. "I'll demonstrate the mitigating circumstances for you," he added.
As the hearing came to an end, the senior attorney asked the court to think about granting Revanna temporary bail while his appeal against the rape conviction is still pending.
He emphasized that Revanna had already spent a year in detention.
He went on to say that prolonged incarceration was not warranted in cases where the prosecution's case was based on dubious evidence.
On November 25, the Court will next hear the case.
Prajwal Revanna was the target of three rape cases and one sexual harassment case in 2024. After more than 2,900 videos showing many women being sexually assaulted became viral online, including on social media, these cases were filed.
A maid who used to work for the Revanna family filed the rape case that the High Court is currently considering.
Prajwal Revanna was convicted guilty by a trial court in August of this year of the rape accusations she made against him. The remaining criminal cases against Revanna are still before trial.
Revanna has been incarcerated since her arrest in May 2024.
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