The Supreme Court has issued notice on a Karnataka government plea against the discharge of Janata Dal (Secular) lawmaker HD Revanna in a 2024 sexual harassment case.
The top court questioned the Karnataka High Court for changing the charges against Revanna and also criticised the state government for not having already filed an appeal against the order.
"Have some discipline," Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran told the court.
In December 2025, a court discharged Revanna from charges under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, which penalises anyone who assaults or uses criminal force on a woman. This non-bailable offence is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.
Only charges under Section 354A, relating to sexual harassment, were retained, and the trial court was directed to examine whether the delay in filing the complaint could be condoned under the relevant laws.
The High Court had observed that the complaint's contents aligned with the offence of sexual harassment under Section 354A rather than the more serious charge under Section 354.
Today, the Supreme Court heard the Karnataka government's appeal against that order.
Justices Pardiwala and Chandran issued notice, asking, "How can the High Court change charges? The court took cognisance… now you have been discharged from Section 354?"
"You should have challenged the order when the High Court decided to take cognisance for outraging the modesty; Section 354 and other charges in the chargesheet were dropped…" the top court told senior advocate S. Nagamuthu, appearing for the Karnataka government.
The bench noted that the domestic help had levelled different sets of allegations against Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna. Allegations against Revanna surfaced after rape and sexual abuse cases were filed against his son, a former Lok Sabha MP. One of the complainants in the Prajwal Revanna case had also levelled sexual harassment charges against his father.
Prajwal Revanna has been convicted in one of the four cases against him.
The cases against him came to light after pen drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving him were circulated in Hassan ahead of voting for the April 2024 Lok Sabha election.
HD Revanna had moved the High Court seeking to quash the case against him, arguing that the complaint had been filed beyond the three-year limitation period applicable to offences punishable with imprisonment of up to three years.
