A special court in Bengaluru on Saturday sentenced Prajwal Revanna, former Member of Parliament and suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader to life imprisonment in connection with a rape case. This is the first of four sexual assault cases registered against the 34-year-old leader.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat of the Special Court for MPs and MLAs, who had found Revanna guilty on Friday. Along with the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on the accused.
The case pertains to the sexual assault of a 48-year-old domestic worker employed at the Revanna family's Gannikada farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district. According to the prosecution, the victim was raped twice in 2021, once at the farmhouse and again at a residence in Bengaluru. The acts were allegedly recorded on Revanna’s mobile phone.
The prosecution argued for the maximum sentence, stressing the severity and premeditated nature of the crime. Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Nayak said, “The court has accepted our case and convicted him on all counts. We relied not just on oral testimony but also digital evidence, DNA reports, and forensic analysis.”
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which led the probe, filed a comprehensive 1,632-page charge sheet in September 2024, naming 113 witnesses. The team seized crucial digital and physical evidence, including the clothes worn by the victim at the time of the assault, which were recovered even after several years.
Revanna was convicted under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, reflecting the serious and repeated nature of the offences. These include Section 376(2)(k) for committing rape while being in a position of dominance, and Section 376(2)(n) for repeated rape of the same woman. He was also found guilty under Sections 354A, 354B, and 354C, which pertain to sexual harassment, assault with the intent to disrobe, and voyeurism. In addition, the court convicted him under Section 506 for criminal intimidation and Section 201 for the disappearance of evidence. Furthermore, he was charged under Section 66E of the Information Technology Act for violation of privacy.
Ahead of the sentencing, Revanna broke down in court and appealed for leniency. He claimed innocence, arguing that the allegations were politically motivated and timed just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “I have done nothing wrong. The only mistake I made in my life is growing fast in politics,” he told the court, adding that he had always passed on merit and held a degree in mechanical engineering.
In addition, he questioned the delay in the victim coming forward, stating, “They say I raped multiple women, but none came out voluntarily. The complaints were made six days before the election... the prosecution brought them purposefully.” In an emotional plea, he added, “I have a family. I have not seen my mother and father for six months now. Please give me a lesser sentence... is what I request the court.”
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H. D. Deve Gowda, was arrested on 31 May 2024 at Bengaluru International Airport upon his return from Germany. The SIT had registered a case against him at Holenarasipura Town Police Station.
He was suspended from the Janata Dal (Secular) shortly after the scandal broke out. He also failed in his re-election bid for the Hassan parliamentary seat during the 2024 general elections.
The cases came into public view after several pen drives containing explicit videos, allegedly involving Revanna, were circulated in Hassan in April 2024, just days before polling.
