A special court in Bengaluru issued a life sentence to Prajwal Revanna, a former MP and suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader, on Saturday. The sentence was delivered in connection with a rape case involving a house help.
First Conviction Among Multiple Cases
The MP/MLA court, presided over by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat, found Revanna guilty on Friday. Out of four cases related to rape and assault filed against him, this is the first conviction. During sentencing, the prosecution requested a life term, stressing the ‘gravity of the offence’.
Details of the Assault
The victim was a 48-year old house help who was employed at the Revanna’s Gannikada farmhouse in Holenarasipura, during the COVID. She was allegedly raped twice. First, at the firmhouse and then again at the second home in Bengaluru. Revanna is accused of recording the assaults on his mobile device.
Who Is Prajwal Revanna?
Prajwal Revanna is the son of senior JD(S) leader HD Revanna and the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. He entered politics with strong family support and won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Hassan, considered a JD(S) stronghold. Positioned as the party’s next-gen leader, he was popularly known as its youth icon.
Sex Scandal and Legal Fallout
Revanna’s political trajectory came to a halt in April 2024 when a major sex scandal surfaced. Thousands of video clips allegedly showing him sexually assaulting various women were leaked online. He left the country soon after the videos became public, sparking nationwide outrage. Following nearly a month in hiding, he returned to India and was taken into custody.
