A special court in Bengaluru on Friday convicted suspended JD(S) leader and former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna in a rape case involving a 48-year-old woman who worked as domestic help at his family’s farmhouse.
The sentencing will be announced on Saturday, with Revanna facing a potential life imprisonment under the Indian Penal Code.
Case Background
The survivor filed her complaint on April 28, 2024, alleging that Revanna sexually assaulted her multiple times between 2021 and 2024, beginning during the COVID-19 lockdown. She claimed Revanna recorded the assaults and threatened her with the videos to ensure her silence.
The case gained momentum after explicit videos allegedly involving Revanna surfaced online earlier this year. This is the first of four criminal cases against him and the first to result in conviction after a seven-month-long trial that began in December 2024.
Key Evidence and Trial Proceedings
According to Additional Public Prosecutor H.K. Jagadish, the court examined 118 witnesses named in the chargesheet, 28 of whom testified, along with 180 documents and extensive digital evidence. The survivor’s statement was deemed crucial, supported by medical, forensic, and video evidence.
Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of sperm traces on a saree provided by the survivor, while call records, CCTV footage, and video files corroborated her account. The defence’s claims of political vendetta and video tampering were dismissed by the court.
Revanna’s attempts to stall proceedings — including two appeals to the Karnataka High Court — failed. Both the High Court and the Supreme Court denied him bail. He was arrested on May 31 at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport after returning from Germany post-elections.
Charges and Potential Sentence
Revanna has been found guilty under:
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IPC Section 376(2)(k) – Rape by a person in a position of control
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IPC Section 376(2)(n) – Repeated rape
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IPC Sections 354A, 354B, 354C – Sexual harassment, assault with intent to disrobe, voyeurism
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IPC Sections 506, 201 – Criminal intimidation, destruction of evidence
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IT Act Section 66E – Violation of privacy through non-consensual recording
Under the primary rape provisions, he faces a minimum 10-year prison term, extendable to life imprisonment. Other charges carry additional penalties of six months to seven years.
Other Pending Cases
The conviction pertains to only one case. Revanna is also on trial in a second rape case involving a former Zilla Panchayat member, while investigations continue in two other sexual assault complaints.
