Convicted former MP Prajwal Revanna sentenced to life imprisonment in rape case

Former Hassan MP and former prime minister HD Devegowda's grandson Prajwal Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court for elected representatives on Saturday. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Revanna.

The suspended JD(S) leader was found guilty on Friday in one of the four rape cases registered against him. The case pertains to a 48-year-old woman who was working as a help at the family's Gannikada farmhouse in Hassan district's Holenarasipura.

On Saturday, Revanna sought for lesser punishment, claiming he did nothing wrong and that his only mistake was his 'fast' growth in politics. He also broke down in the court as he appealed.


He told the court that he is a BE Mechanical graduate, and has always passed on merit.

"...they say that I have raped multiple women, but none of the women have come out voluntarily to complain, they came six days prior to election (Lok Sabha polls last year)...the prosecution side brought them purposefully and made them give a complaint," Prajwal told the court.

Pointing out that the woman (victim) had not complained to anyone including her husband or kin about the alleged rape, he said that she comes and gives complaint when certain videos were circulated.

"I have a family, I have not seen my mother and father for six months now.....please give me a less sentence is what I request the court."

"The only mistake I made in my life is growing fast in politics," Prajwal, arrested in May last year upon his arrival from Germany, said.

The prosecution advocates sought life imprisonment for Prajwal Revanna during the hearing, ahead of the sentencing.

The victim was allegedly raped twice at Hassan farm house and Bengaluru residence, in 2021 and the act recorded by the accused on his mobile phone.

The woman was allegedly kidnapped at the behest of Prajwal’s parents, former Minister H.D. Revanna and Bhavani Revanna, to prevent her from testifying against their son after the scandal broke out in April 2024. She was later rescued from a farmhouse in K.R. Nagar by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by B.K. Singh, Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Four separate cases have been registered against Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual harassment, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the cases against him. The cases came to light when pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26, 2024.

He was arrested by the SIT on May 31 last year, upon arrival at Bengaluru Airport from Germany in connection with a case registered at the Holenarasipura Town Police Station.

Revanna had failed in his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. JD(S) suspended him from the party following the cases filed against him.