The Karnataka High Court on Monday, September 9, directed that the hearing in the bail application filed by former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna be conducted “in-camera.”
Justice M Nagaprasanna, presiding over a single judge bench, stressed the need for confidentiality during the proceedings. "This will be heard in-camera, it cannot be heard in open court. We will secure the order and do it (hear in-camera). It should not be that any person is put to ignominy at any cost," said Justice Nagaprasanna.
Prajwal is currently in judicial custody as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing three cases registered against him. His bail plea pertains to the first case filed at the Holenarasipura police station, while the anticipatory bail request is in relation to the case registered by the SIT in Bengaluru.
The court also directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to provide a copy of the chargesheet filed last month in the trial court. "I will also need to see the chargesheet and what is in it before we get an order for the in-camera hearing," said Justice Nagaprasanna.
Last month, Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar, representing the SIT, had urged the court to consider an in-camera hearing due to the sensitive nature of the allegations. Kumar expressed concerns about inadvertently revealing the victim's identity if the matter was discussed openly. Responding to these concerns on Monday, Kumar reiterated the gravity of the allegations saying that he felt embarrassed just reading the details mentioned in the chargesheet, Bar and Bench reported.
Prajwal's counsel, Prabhuling Navadgi, expressed no objection to the in-camera hearing and requested access to the chargesheet. Navadgi highlighted that the allegation of rape was added later in the investigation, and thus, he needed to review the chargesheet.
However, Justice Nagaprasanna said that the accused would receive a copy of the chargesheet only after the trial court takes cognisance of the same.
The Karnataka High Court has scheduled further proceedings on Prajwal's bail application for September 12.
Earlier on August 24, the SIT had filed a 2,144-page chargesheet against Prajwal Revanna before a special court handling cases involving MPs/MLAs. Prajwal Revanna is accused of rape and videographing sexual acts with more than 70 women. He is accused of making nearly 3,000 videos of such acts and some of the videos were circulated in Hassan district in the days leading up to the election for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, to which Prajwal was seeking re-election.
One case of sexual assault and sexual harassment, along with two other cases of sexual assault, have been registered against him by the police. Chargesheets are yet to be filed in these cases.