JD(S) leader H D Revanna discharged from sexual harassment case

Bengaluru: A special court for offences related to MP/MLAs on Monday discharged former minister and JD (S) leader H D Revanna in a case for the offence under IPC section 354A (sexual harassment).

The special court judge K N Shivakumar (Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate) discharged Revanna on the ground of delay in filing a complaint for offence under Section 354A.

“This is not a fit case to condone the delay in lodging the complaint or initiation of prosecution in respect of the offence punishable under section 354A of IPC (sexual harassment) alleged against accused No.1 (Revanna)
U/Sec 473 CrPC. Accordingly, this court declines to take cognisance of said offence punishable under section 354A of IPC as against accused No.1,” the court said.

The case was registered at Holenarasipur town police station, Hassan district, based on a complaint filed by his former housemaid.

The police had filed the chargesheet in the case and the trial court had taken cognisance of the offences under IPC section 354 (outraging the woman’s modesty) and section 354A.

In the petition filed by Revanna challenging the FIR, the high court had set aside the offence under IPC Section 354.Insofar as the offence under Section 354A, the high court had directed the special court to consider whether it is a fit case to condone the delay and pass appropriate orders since Section 354A is punishable with maximum three years and the charge is hit by limitation as prescribed under CrPC Section 468.