A special court in Bengaluru has convicted Prajwal Revanna, a former Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] MP from Hassan, in a rape case. Revanna, who is also the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was found guilty in one of the four rape cases registered against him. The court will announce the sentence tomorrow.
The case was filed by a 47-year-old domestic help, who accused Revanna of raping her multiple times. She alleged that the incidents occurred twice at the Revanna family's farmhouse in Gannikada, Hassan district, and once at their house in Bengaluru. The victim also stated that Revanna recorded the act on video.
Following the emergence of the scandal in April 2024, the victim was rescued by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). She had allegedly been abducted to prevent her from testifying against Revanna. The SIT was led by B.K. Singh, Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The special court framed charges against Prajwal Revanna under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. These included sections 376(2)(k) (raping a woman over whom one has control or power), 376(2)(n) (repeatedly raping the same woman), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (disrobing a woman), 354C (voyeurism), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC, along with 66E (violation of privacy) of the IT Act.
The trial commenced on December 31, 2024, and the court examined 23 witnesses. The SIT submitted a charge sheet of nearly 2,000 pages, which included 123 pieces of evidence, forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports of video clips, and spot inspection reports from the crime scene. The trial was completed within seven months.
Throughout the proceedings, Special Public Prosecutors B.N. Jagadeesh and Ashok Naik represented the state, while senior advocates Nalina Mayagowda and Arun G represented Prajwal Revanna. Revanna was reportedly seen breaking down in court after the verdict was announced.
Prajwal Revanna faces three other pending rape cases and will remain in prison regardless of this verdict. The conviction comes after the emergence of over 2000 obscene video clips of sexual abuse.
