Former Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna convicted in rape case

Bengaluru: In a big setback to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP and the grandson of H D Deve Gowda, a special court for elected representatives on Friday convicted him in a sexual abuse and rape case registered in KR Nagar police station. Special court judge Santosh Gajanana Bhat pronounced the judgement. The quantum of punishment is likely to be ordered on Saturday.  

The case pertains to the sexual abuse of a 48-year-old woman who was working as a help at Gannikada guest house in Hassan, belonging to Revanna family. Prajwal had also recorded the act on his mobile phone.

The SIT had chargesheeted Prajwal Revanna under IPC sections 376 (2) (k) for being in dominance over a woman and commits rape in such woman and 376 (2) (n) for repeated rape on the same woman, under section 66E of Information Technology Act and other offences.

The prosecution case was that the victim was raped twice in 2021, once at Revanna’s Hassan residence and again at the Bengaluru residence. The chargesheet had listed 113 witnesses and the trial was concluded on July 18.

Prajwal Revanna is the key accused in four cases registered following video clips depicting the sexual assault of several women were circulated online, including on social media. The first complaint against Prajwal Revanna was filed in April 2023.