Prajwal Revanna News / Prajwal Revanna sentenced to life imprisonment in rape case, fined Rs 10 lakh

Prajwal Revanna: The troubles of suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader in Karnataka, former MP and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Prajwal Revanna, have increased. A special court in Bengaluru has sentenced Prajwal Revanna to life imprisonment in the case of raping a domestic help. Along with this, the court has also imposed a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the victim and a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Revanna. On Friday, the court convicted Revanna on all four charges in this case, and the sentence was announced on Saturday.

Case details

The special court headed by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat conducted a speedy hearing in this case. The victim had filed four cases against Prajwal Revanna last year, which included serious allegations of rape and sexual harassment. The prosecution presented a detailed charge sheet of 1632 pages, which included 183 documents along with electronic and non-electronic evidence. Apart from this, the victim's family and 26 witnesses were questioned. Revanna was convicted after all the charges were proved in court.

Pornographic videos and arrest

The case hit the headlines when pornographic videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna surfaced in April 2024 ahead of the Hassan Lok Sabha polls. The Janata Dal (Secular) suspended Revanna from the party after these videos went viral. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Revanna at the Bengaluru airport on May 31, 2024, in connection with a case registered at the Holenarasipura Town police station when he returned from Germany.

Court proceedings

The court had started continuous hearings in the case from May 2, 2024, to deliver the verdict as soon as possible. The hearing was completed on July 18, and the verdict was reserved for July 30. However, the verdict was postponed till Friday due to the need for clarification on mobile location data and other technical evidence. During the hearing, Revanna reportedly became emotional and cried when he was convicted.

Sentence and compensation

Announcing the sentence on Saturday, Judge Gajanan Bhat sentenced Prajwal Revanna to life imprisonment. Along with this, compensation of Rs 7 lakh was given to the victim and a fine of Rs 10 lakh was imposed on Revanna. This decision has become a topic of discussion in Karnataka politics and society at large, as Revanna belongs to a prominent political family.

Political and social impact

Prajwal Revanna lost the election from Hassan parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His arrest and conviction have also affected the image of the Janata Dal (Secular). The case has further intensified the debate on issues such as sexual violence against women and accountability of influential people in society.