Prajwal Revanna Gets Life Imprisonment: Ex-Hassan MP Convicted In Rape Case Linked To Sexual Assault Videos

Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Bengaluru on Friday, a day after he was found guilty of raping a 47-year-old domestic worker. The case marks the first conviction in a series of four sexual assault and harassment cases filed against the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

This is the first case among the four pending rape and harassment charges against Revanna to reach conviction. The victim in this case was a former domestic help at the Revanna family's farmhouse in Gannikada, Hassan. She was sexually assaulted twice in 2021-once in Hassan and again at the family's residence in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. Prajwal had allegedly recorded the first incident on his mobile phone.

The case progressed swiftly, with the trial concluding in just over a year after the FIR was filed. The court began hearings on May 2, 2025, and conducted daily proceedings in line with Supreme Court guidelines for cases involving elected representatives. The verdict was delivered on July 18, and sentencing followed on August 2.

Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Nayak said the conviction was a major step toward justice and thanked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional DGP B.K. Singh for their thorough investigation. Another prosecutor, B.N. Jagadeesha, noted that attempts to delay the trial-such as changing lawyers and moving the High Court-were unsuccessful.

The prosecution highlighted key pieces of evidence, including the video of the assault and DNA analysis. Forensic tests confirmed Prajwal's presence in the video, where the victim was seen pleading with him. His DNA was also found on a sari the victim had kept in a wardrobe at the farmhouse.

Charges Against Revanna's Parents

The victim was allegedly abducted in an attempt to stop her from testifying. She was rescued from a farmhouse in K.R. Nagar, and a separate chargesheet has been filed against Prajwal's parents-former minister H.D. Revanna and Bhavani Revanna-accusing them of abduction. The trial in that case is yet to begin.

The SIT had filed a 1,632-page chargesheet in this case in September 2024, including testimonies from 118 witnesses.

The case gained widespread attention after hundreds of explicit videos, allegedly recorded by Prajwal and involving multiple women, surfaced in Hassan in April 2024-just weeks before the Lok Sabha elections. This led to the formation of the SIT, which is currently probing four cases against him: three for rape and one for sexual harassment.

Prajwal Revanna, who appeared emotional and alone in court during the sentencing, is currently serving his life sentence. Trials in the remaining cases are at various stages.