Karnataka High Court Directs Trial Court To Consider Prajwal Revanna's Objections To Pendrive Evidence In Rape Case

The Karnataka High Court on Friday (July 31) directed the trial court to consider the objections raised by former MP and expelled Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna to the marking of a pen drive as evidence, in a rape case filed against him.

Justice M Nagaprasanna disposed of Revanna's petition after recording the State's submission that it had no objection to the trial court considering the objections already filed, or those to be filed, at the appropriate stage.

Revanna had challenged the trial court's June 24 order overruling his objections to the marking of the pen drive and sought expunging of portions of the depositions of prosecution witnesses 1 to 3 relating to the electronic evidence in Special C.C. No. 1586 of 2025 in FIR no. 107 of 2024.

Appearing for Revanna, Senior Advocate G. Arun submitted that the issue arose during the course of the trial, where a digital device—a pen drive—had been introduced through witnesses who were not its authors or competent witnesses. He urged the High Court to keep open the petitioner's objections to the pen drive evidence for consideration at the appropriate stage of the trial.

Recording the submissions, the Court observed, "Since marking is already done only relief sought is that objections which he has filed or which are to be filed to the marking should be considered at relevant point of time."

The Special Public Prosecutor submitted that the prosecution had no objection to such a clarification. Accepting the submission, the High Court directed that the objections already filed or to be filed regarding the marking of the pen drive shall be considered by the trial court at the appropriate stage, notwithstanding the findings rendered in its earlier order, and disposed of the petition.

The case is one of the four sexual assault and harassment cases registered against Revanna.

He is booked for offences under Sections 376 (rape), 376(2)(k) (rape by a person in a position of control or dominance), 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage a woman's modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe), 354D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, read with Section 66E (violation of privacy) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Earlier, a Session Court had convicted him of similar charges in another case on August 02 and had sentenced him to life imprisonment. 

Case title: PRAJWAL REVANNA v/s STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ANOTHER

CRL.P 10051/2026