Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna Convicted in Rape Case by Special Court

Bengaluru: Former Member of Parliament and suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna was on Friday convicted by a Special Court in one of the four rape and sexual abuse cases registered against him. The verdict was delivered by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat, who will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Saturday.

The case relates to the sexual assault of a 48- year -old woman employed as domestic help at the Revanna family’s farmhouse in Gannikada, located in Holenarasipura, Hassan district. According to the prosecution, the woman was raped twice in 2021, and the incidents were allegedly recorded by the accused on his mobile phone.

Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, is facing a total of four criminal cases on charges of rape and sexual harassment. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the allegations.

The cases came into public attention shortly before the Lok Sabha elections in April 2024, when pen drives containing explicit videos, allegedly involving Revanna, were circulated in Hassan. The SIT arrested him on May 31, 2024, upon his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport from Germany. The arrest was based on a complaint filed at the Holenarasipura Town Police Station.

Prajwal Revanna had contested the 2024 general elections from the Hassan constituency but failed to retain his seat. Following the emergence of the allegations, the JD(S) suspended him from the party.