Former Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna, grandson of ex-Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Bengaluru in connection with a rape case involving a domestic worker.&nbsp;
The sentence mandates rigorous imprisonment for his entire life, alongside a fine of Rs 10 lakh, out of which Rs 7 lakh has been directed as compensation to the survivor.
The 34-year-old former Hassan MP was convicted on Friday under Section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code, along with charges of voyeurism, sexual harassment, tampering with evidence, and offences under the Information Technology Act.&nbsp;
Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat delivered the sentence after concluding a swift trial that began just eight weeks ago. The case is one of four lodged against Revanna following an extensive investigation into allegations of sexual abuse.
According to the prosecution, the victim, aged 48, was employed at the Revanna family's farmhouse in Gannikada, located in Holenarasipur, Hassan district. She reported being sexually assaulted on two occasions in 2021 &mdash; once at the farmhouse and again at the family&rsquo;s residence in Bengaluru.&nbsp;
Revanna allegedly filmed the acts on his mobile device. Her formal complaint was registered in April 2024 after she was found at a farmhouse near Mysuru, where she claimed to have been held to prevent her from pressing charges.
During sentencing, Revanna addressed the court, visibly distressed and tearful. He said, &ldquo;I have worked as a Member of Parliament for one term and did good work. Nobody accused me of rape when I was an MP. But the allegation was made just ahead of elections. My only mistake was that I grew fast in politics.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He went on to add that he was a meritorious student with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and expressed anguish over being unable to see his parents for six months. He also questioned the timing of the survivor&rsquo;s complaint, saying, &ldquo;She comes and gives a complaint when certain videos were circulated,&rdquo; and pointed out that she had not shared the alleged incident with her family at the time.
The defence urged the court to consider these factors, but the prosecution called for the maximum sentence in light of the nature of the offences. Investigators presented substantial evidence, including testimony from 26 witnesses and 180 documents across 38 hearings. A 40-member Special Investigation Team compiled a five-volume charge sheet running over 1,800 pages.
Revanna had flown to Germany in early 2024, shortly after pen drives containing explicit videos allegedly linked to him surfaced in his constituency. He returned to India following the general elections and was taken into custody at Bengaluru airport on May 31.
Although convicted in one case, Revanna remains an accused in three other sexual assault cases, all arising from the same probe.
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Court convicts former MP Revanna; imposes Rs 10 lakh fine and life term

Prajwal Revanna Sentenced to Life for Rape Case

Court convicts former MP Revanna; imposes Rs 10 lakh fine and life term

August 2, 2025 | 23:54 IST