Abduction case: Karnataka HC grants advance bail to Bhavani

The high court has granted anticipatory bail to former minister H D Revanna’s wife Bhavani Revanna in the abduction case registered at KR Nagar police station in Mysuru district.

“Despite vociferous submissions, why the police want custodial interrogation has not been even clearly substantiated and therefore, it cannot be granted, law having heavily loaded against such a claim,” Justice Krishna S Dixit, said while allowing the petition filed by Bhavani.

The son of the victim woman had filed the complaint, alleging that his mother had been kept in confinement. In this case, Bhavani’s husband and Holenarasipur MLA Revanna was granted anticipatory bail. Bhavani moved the high court after the special court refused her anticipatory bail.

During the pendency of this petition, Bhavani had appeared before the SIT on three days, as per the directions of the high court. The SIT had claimed that Bhavani did not cooperate with the investigation and also gave false answers. The SIT further contended that Bhavani is the ’kingpin’ in the case and since IPC section 364A is (kidnapping for ransom) is invoked, no anticipatory bail can be granted.

The court perused the material and noted that Bhavani had answered a total of 80 questions posed by the SIT. “There is not even a whisper that the argued risk to the abductee’s life is at the instance of the petitioner. Even otherwise, no assumption of the kind can be made against the petitioner who is not named by the complainant or by his mother in her (CrPC) sections 161 & 164 statements that are furnished in a sealed cover,” the court said.

The court dismissed the proposition cited by the prosecution that the courts cannot examine the tenability of the police claim for custodial interrogation. The court also said that though citizens should comply with a police notice under CrPC section 41A, sometimes the matter will not be as simple as it purports to be.

The court also said that it is always open to the SIT to seek for cancellation of bail if any conditions are breached by the petitioner. The court has imposed a condition that petitioner shall not enter Mysuru and Hassan districts, except for investigation purposes.