Revanna convicted for rape, sentencing today

A special court on Friday convicted former Janata Dal (Secular) MP and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Prajwal Revanna, in a rape case registered against him by a 48-year-old woman who had worked as domestic help at his family’s farmhouse in Hassan.

- Arun Dev

The quantum of punishment is set to be announced on Saturday.

Revanna, who was suspended from JD(S) on April 30 last year amid the allegations, has been booked in three cases of rape and one of sexual harassment. Of these four, this is the first case to result in a conviction.

The case pertains to a 48-year-old woman who was working as a domestic help at the family’s Gannikada farmhouse in Hassan district's Holenarasipura. She was allegedly raped twice — in Hassan and Bengaluru residence — between 2021 and 2024, and the act was recorded by the accused on his mobile phone. ‘The victim lodged the first information report (FIR) on April 28, 2024.

The FIR came two days after a huge cache of explicit videos allegedly showing Revanna sexually abusing several women became public hours following polling for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat on April 26 last year. Revanna was arrested on May 31 last year, upon arrival at Bengaluru airport from Germany.

Confirming the conviction, special prosecutor Ashok Nayak said: “The court has pronounced Prajwal Revanna guilty in the rape case. The verdict has been delivered, and the quantum of punishment will be announced on Saturday.”