Karnataka: Karnataka High Court expresses concern over circulation of videos of women

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday observed what would be the state of women in society, the right to privacy and the autonomy of women, if the video clips of sexual assaults allegedly involving former MP Prajwal Revanna circulated through pendrives are proved false.

Justice Krishna S Dixit made this observation while expressing concern during the hearing of the anticipatory bail petition filed by Bhavani Revanna, mother of the accused, former MP Prajwal Revanna, who has been booked for alleged sexual assaults.

Senior counsel CV Nagesh, representing Bhavani, argued that around 5 lakh pendrives were distributed house to house. Then the court observed that they should know the consequences of the distribution of pendrives. If all those clips are fake, what will the women (victims) do, the court asked.

Special Public Prosecutor Prof Ravivarma Kumar, assisted by Additional State Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesha, argued that Bhavani is not cooperating with the investigation as a condition imposed while granting her interim anticipatory bail. She is giving evasive answers to questions asked by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) though she was monitoring the entire episode of the kidnap of a victim of a sexual assault and hence the interim anticipatory bail should be cancelled, he argued.

He also argued that hundreds of women have been sexually assaulted by Prajwal. His mother was hand in glove with him instead of questioning him, taking him to task and preventing him from raping and videographing, he argued while praying the court to look into the documents produced before it in a sealed cover and cancel the interim anticipatory bail.

The court then observed that parents have no control over the child after he attains the majority. “Also, show us why you (SIT) need custodial interrogation of the married lady,” the court asked.

Then the SPP submitted that the manner of investigation is the prerogative of the investigating agency and probe cannot be interrupted and the function of the court starts after the filing of the chargesheet.

The court replied that then nobody would be safe tomorrow at the hands of the state if the court acceded to a line request of the investigation agency to hand over the accused for custodial interrogation and it will be Idi Amin’s jurisprudence, the Ugandan dictator.

Meanwhile, SPP submitted that the accused had appeared for probe for three days but misled the investigating agency and hence they want her custodial interrogation as they have to complete the probe within the stipulated period.

After the arguments, the court reserved the order and extended the interim anticipatory bail granted to Bhavani with conditions till the pronouncement of the order.