After the verdict against him was pronounced, Prajwal Revanna broke down and was seen weeping
Bengaluru: A special court on Friday convicted former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna for the rape of a domestic help in 2021. The victim worked at his residence in Holenarsipur, Hassan district. Special Court judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat is expected to pronounce the sentence on Saturday.
Prajwal, 34, is the grandson of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and the son of H.D. Revanna. His uncle and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has distanced himself from the Revanna family, stating that his father Deve Gowda and he “have always respected women.”
Prajwal was accused of repeatedly raping his domestic help and recording videos of the assaults. He was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape by a person in a position of dominance, repeated rape, outraging the modesty of a woman, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, and tampering with evidence.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed the case, filed a 1,632-page chargesheet in September 2024, incorporating statements from 113 witnesses.
After the court found Prajwal guilty, special public prosecutor Ashok Nayak said he had sought either 10 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment for the convict. He termed the conviction “justice delivered to the victim.”
Nayak said the prosecution had examined 26 witnesses and submitted 180 documents. “The main evidence was that of the victim, a woman — it was very, very convincing,” he said. He also noted that the trial was completed swiftly, despite 38 adjournments.
“It is a victory for the victim. I also congratulate the SIT team. We relied not only on oral testimony but also on digital evidence, technical evidence, the DNA report, and the FSL report. The clothes worn by the victim during the rape were also identified, and the Investigating Officer (IO) successfully seized them even after three or four years. Digital evidence played a crucial role, as the accused himself had recorded the video,” he added.
Only four cases have been registered against Prajwal, as many of his victims have not come forward to file complaints with the SIT. According to Prajwal’s car driver, videos exist showing the rape of one woman and sexual encounters with over 40 others. Some of the victims allegedly include government officers, but for various reasons, they have chosen not to lodge complaints.
Nayak said the victim remained silent for four years because her daughter was on the verge of marriage and due to fear of social stigma. However, when the time came to expose the incident, she mustered the courage to speak out.
He added that it was only after a video of the rape surfaced and came to the attention of the victim’s family that she opened up. The family, after watching the video, assured her of their full support and persuaded her not to take any drastic steps.
Nayak commended the SIT’s women officers for counselling the victim, which helped her regain confidence and speak up. “There was a question about whether the videos made by Prajwal were real or morphed,” Nayak noted, adding that Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) tests confirmed that the video recordings were genuine.
During the court proceedings, Revanna appeared visibly shaken and reportedly broke down as the judge read out the conviction. The trial in this case concluded on July 18, and the verdict was originally reserved for July 30. However, the judge adjourned the verdict to Friday, seeking clarification on mobile location data and other technical evidence.
