Bengaluru, August 3, 2025 — Prajwal Revanna, former Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was sentenced to life imprisonment until death by a Bengaluru Special Court for elected representatives on August 2, 2025, following his conviction in a high-profile rape case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 11.6 lakh, with Rs 11.25 lakh directed to the victim, a 48-year-old former domestic worker at the Revanna family’s farmhouse in Gannikada, Hassan.
Revanna was arrested on May 31, 2024, at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport upon his return from Germany, where he had fled on April 27, 2024, after explicit videos allegedly depicting him sexually assaulting multiple women surfaced in Hassan ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Karnataka government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 28, 2024, to probe the allegations, leading to his arrest by an all-women SIT team. Revanna, who lost the Hassan Lok Sabha seat in 2024, has been in custody at Bengaluru Central Prison since.
The conviction, delivered on August 1, 2025, by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat, pertains to the rape of a domestic worker at the family’s farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan, in 2021, with the act allegedly recorded on Revanna’s mobile phone. The SIT’s 1,632-page chargesheet, filed in September 2024, included testimony from 113 witnesses and digital evidence, such as DNA found on the victim’s garment and voice matching in video footage. Revanna was convicted under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 376(2)(k) for rape by a person in a position of dominance, Section 376(2)(n) for repeated rape, and sections for sexual harassment, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, and destruction of evidence, as well as Section 66E of the Information Technology Act for privacy violation.
During the sentencing hearing, Revanna broke down in court, claiming his only mistake was “growing fast in politics” and alleging the accusations were politically motivated, timed to derail his 2024 election campaign. He pleaded for leniency, citing his youth and charitable activities, but the prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Nayak, demanded the maximum penalty, emphasizing the victim’s socio-economic vulnerability and the crime’s severity. The court sentenced Revanna to life imprisonment under IPC Sections 376(2)(k) and 376(2)(n), each with a Rs 5 lakh fine, seven years for assault with intent to disrobe, three years each for voyeurism, sexual harassment, and evidence destruction, and two years for criminal intimidation.
SIT chief B.K. Singh praised the victim’s courage, noting her resolve despite Revanna’s political and economic influence. “The victim stood like a rock,” Singh said, highlighting attempts to delay the verdict. The trial, concluded in eight weeks, was notably swift, with 26 witnesses cross-examined and 180 documents reviewed over 38 hearings. The case, one of six against Revanna, has sparked debate, with his family alleging a Congress-led conspiracy, while Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar questioned the silence of JD(S) and BJP leaders.
Three other rape cases and a sexual harassment case against Revanna are ongoing, with one trial underway and two at the charge-framing stage. A kidnapping case involving Revanna’s parents, H.D. Revanna and Bhavani Revanna, is being tried separately. The conviction has been hailed as a landmark for justice, with activists urging victim rehabilitation to encourage others to come forward.
