CJI-led Bench says trial judge’s past observations cannot be used to allege bias; insists integrity of district judiciary must be upheld.
The Supreme Court has refused to transfer the two remaining rape case trials against former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to another court, rejecting his claim that the current trial judge may be biased. The plea was heard by a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi.
Revanna had approached the court seeking relocation of the trials from the 81st Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru, arguing that the judge had previously convicted him in another rape case and might therefore hold a preconceived view. He claimed that certain remarks made by the trial judge in earlier proceedings showed possible prejudice.
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However, the Supreme Court made it clear that such arguments could not be grounds to doubt the neutrality of the judge. The Bench observed that the judge’s earlier comments were part of a different case and were supported by trial records as well as findings of the Karnataka High Court.
The CJI emphasised that a judge must decide each case strictly on the evidence presented, not on past convictions, and stated that no inference of bias could be drawn merely because the same judge had tried an earlier matter.
“We cannot send a message that a person may go to the Supreme Court and seek orders against the district judiciary,” the Chief Justice said. “The integrity of the district courts must be upheld at the highest level.”
The Bench added that the previous conviction, which is still under appeal before the High Court, should not influence the ongoing trials. It further reiterated that judges are expected to assess each case independently based on the material before them.
With these observations, the Supreme Court dismissed Revanna’s transfer petition, allowing the two pending rape trials to continue before the same Bengaluru court.