Bengaluru
In a major development that has rocked Karnataka’s political landscape, former MP and suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a 47-year-old domestic worker. The verdict was delivered on Saturday by Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat of the Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru.
Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of former minister H D Revanna, was found guilty under IPC Sections 376(2)(n) and 376(2)(k). The court also imposed a ₹10 lakh fine, of which ₹7 lakh is to be paid to the survivor as compensation.
The conviction, delivered on August 1, is the first among four rape and molestation cases filed against him. He has been lodged in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara prison since May 31, 2024, following his return from Germany after a 35-day absence.
The case pertains to incidents at the family’s farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district, and at their residence in Bengaluru. The survivor, Mridula (name changed), a farm labourer, testified to being raped twice in 2021. Her emotional and consistent testimony, despite repeated breakdowns, was key to the court’s decision.
Special Public Prosecutors BN Jagadeesha and Ashok Naik argued for the harshest punishment, citing Revanna’s lack of remorse, attempted intimidation of the survivor, and a pattern of sexual misconduct. The prosecution submitted a 118-page chargesheet, 180 documents, 26 witnesses, and digital forensic evidence, including videos allegedly recorded by Revanna himself.