A Bengaluru court on Monday declined to take cognisance of the sexual harassment charge against Janata Dal (Secular) MLA HD Revanna, who is the father of convicted rapist and former MP Prajwal Revanna.
The 42nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court in Bengaluru refused to take cognisance of the offence under Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), citing an inordinate delay in the registration of the complaint.
Earlier, in response to a petition by Revanna requesting quashing of the charges against him, the state high court quashed a charge under IPC Section 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty) and remanded the case back to the trial court to examine the legal validity of the sexual harassment charge. “The trial court was subsequently required to examine whether the charge under Section 354A could proceed. After hearing arguments and examining the case records, the 42nd ACJM court declined to take cognisance of the offence,” said C.V. Nagesh, Revanna’s advocate.
The case originated from a complaint filed by a woman from Holenarasipur in Hassan district.
{{/usCountry}}The case originated from a complaint filed by a woman from Holenarasipur in Hassan district.
{{/usCountry}}Section 354A of the IPC covers sexual harassment, including unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, showing pornography against a woman’s will, or making sexually coloured remarks.