The Karnataka High Court on Thursday ruled that suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, can examine digital evidence only related to the complainant in the case and not evidence concerning other victims.
While Revanna's counsel argued that the digital evidence in question was not necessarily obscene, the Court dismissed the claim, asserting that the law cannot be tailored to favor Revanna.
"The images here even of the victim are obscene. Just because you are Prajwal Revanna, the law can't be bent for you," Justice M Nagaprasanna said.
Revanna, accused in at least four separate cases of rape, sexual assault, and criminal intimidation, had approached the Karnataka High Court last week, seeking access to all digital evidence collected against him by the State Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Justice Nagaprasanna clarified that while Revanna is entitled to receive copies of evidence relevant to his cases, the Court will not allow access to material that could potentially disclose the identities of victims other than the complainant in the trial court case.
"Anything pertaining to this case under Section 376 (pertaining to alleged rape of a domestic help) under you, you'll get. But if you are trying to extract material relating to all the women you have had escapades with, that can't be permitted ... When they (other women/victims) are not giving any statements against you, why do you want to invade their privacy? ... We can't allow invasion of their privacy," Justice Nagaprasanna remarked.
Additional Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) BN Jagadeesha argued before the Court that Revanna’s petition was merely a tactic to delay the trial.
Ultimately, the Court directed that Revanna be permitted to examine the digital evidence related to the victim in the present case, in accordance with Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (now replaced by corresponding provisions in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita).
"We will allow you to inspect the victim's statements, photographs, and related evidence in this case, strictly in line with the judgment in P Gopalakrishnan vs State of Kerala," the Court stated while disposing of Revanna's plea.
The Court further authorized the State to withhold any material from Revanna as permitted under the law.
"It is his (Revanna's) right too to ask under Section 207. But whatever he is entitled to is only in accordance with Gopalakrishnan judgment, " the judge added.
Additional Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) BN Jagadeesha earlier informed the Court that the prosecution had already provided Revanna with copies of images and videos relevant to the four cases registered against him.
However, Jagadeesha revealed that Revanna is now seeking access to over 15,000 images and 2,000 videos recovered from a Samsung phone allegedly belonging to his driver. Most of this material pertains to other victims, and sharing such evidence could not only delay the process but also risk revealing the identities of those victims before the trial court, he argued.
Revanna, the son of former minister HD Revanna and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is facing multiple charges of rape and sexual abuse, with four cases registered against him based on separate complaints.
On August 24, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the allegations filed its first chargesheet, a 2,144-page document, in one of the four cases before the special court designated for cases involving legislators.
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