The Karnataka High Court on Thursday, directed a trial court to defer framing charges of alleged rape and sexual assault against former Hassan MP and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna until January 16, Live Law reported.

The charges were to be framed on January 13. The trial court was, however, allowed to keep hearing arguments in the case.

Prajwal Revanna was arrested on May 31 after he returned to Bengaluru from Germany, where he had fled on April 26. He was suspended from the Janata Dal (Secular) on April 30.

This came videos of alleged sexual assault against several women, allegedly recorded by Prajwal Revanna himself, surfaced just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He has since been booked in four different cases.

While three women have filed cases of sexual assault against Prajwal Revanna, the fourth case concerns allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation – for which he has been booked under the Indian Penal Code.

Soon after he fled to Germany, Revanna and his father, former state minister HD Revanna, were booked by the Karnataka Police for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.

The first information report was based on a complaint by a woman who had worked in the Revanna household for three-and-a-half years.

On May 18, an arrest warrant was issued against Prajwal Revanna. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a special court for elected representatives on May 30.

The High Court’s directions on Thursday were issued while hearing a petition filed by Prajwal Revanna challenging a previous order rejecting his application for copies of documents and electronic evidence used to prosecute him.

This includes over 15,000 images and 2,000 videos collected from the phone of Prajwal Revanna’s driver, who allegedly copied the material from the former MP’s phone.

The court, however, held that Prajwal Revanna was only entitled to receive copies of evidence pertaining to his cases alone, and which were already provided to him.

The court remarked that allowing Prajwal Revanna access to all the photos and videos might expose the identities of other survivors besides the complainants, Bar and Bench reported.

The prosecution alleged that Prajwal Revanna’s petition was merely meant to delay the start of his trial.