India, Dec. 3 -- The Karnataka high court on Wednesday rejected a plea by former Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] MP Prajwal Revanna to suspend the life sentence imposed on him by a Bengaluru court earlier this year in a rape case, pending the disposal of his appeal against the conviction.

Revanna, the former member of Parliament (MP) from Hassan, Karnataka, accused of raping a 48-year-old employee hired as a labourer by his family on a salary of Rs.10,000 and a bag of rice a month, had sought suspension of his sentence or interim bail pending disposal of the appeal. The high court, however, dismissed the plea citing the "gravity of the offence."

A division bench of justices KS Mudagal and Venkatesh Naik passed the order while hearing Revan...