A Bengaluru Special Court for MPs/MLAs sentenced former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to life imprisonment on Saturday, delivering a landmark verdict in a high-profile rape case. Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat also imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on the 34-year-old, convicted on Friday in one of four sexual abuse cases against him.
The case involves a 48-year-old woman, a former domestic worker at the Revanna family’s Gannikada farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district, allegedly raped twice in 2021—at the farmhouse and the family’s Bengaluru residence. The accused recorded the acts on his mobile phone, which became pivotal evidence.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a 1,632-page chargesheet in September 2024, supported by 113 witnesses and 180 documents. Charges included IPC sections 376(2)(k) (rape by a person in a position of dominance), 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault to disrobe), 354C (voyeurism), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destroying evidence), and IT Act’s Section 66E (privacy violation). DNA evidence, Forensic Sciences Laboratory reports, and a preserved saree worn by the victim during the assault corroborated her testimony, strengthening the prosecution’s case led by Special Public Prosecutors Ashok Nayak and B N Jagadeesha.
Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, broke down in court, pleading for leniency. Claiming his only mistake was his rapid political rise, he argued the victim’s complaint surfaced only after explicit videos, allegedly recorded by him, were circulated before the April 26, 2024, Lok Sabha polls in Hassan. “I’m a Mechanical Engineering graduate, always a merit student. I haven’t seen my parents in six months,” he tearfully told the court, alleging a political conspiracy. However, multiple bail pleas were rejected, and he has remained in judicial custody since his arrest on May 31, 2024, upon returning from Germany.
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The case, sparked by pen-drives containing explicit videos circulating in Hassan, led to Revanna’s suspension from JD(S) and his loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Three other cases—two involving sexual assault and one for sexual harassment—remain under investigation, with trials ongoing.
A key whistleblower, Revanna’s former driver Karthik, revealed over 2,000 obscene images and 40–50 explicit videos on Revanna’s phone, exposing a broader pattern of abuse. The Revanna family alleges a Congress-led conspiracy to weaken their influence in Hassan, a JD(S) stronghold. This verdict marks a significant moment in addressing sexual violence by powerful figures, with the nation watching closely.
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