BREAKING: Bengaluru Court Convicts Ex-JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna for Rape of Domestic Worker
Prajwal Revanna has been convicted of repeatedly raping a 48-year-old domestic worker employed at his family's farmhouse and filming the assaults without her consent;
A special court in Bengaluru on Friday convicted former Hassan MP and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna in a rape case filed by a 48-year-old domestic worker. Court found Revanna guilty under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. The sentencing is yet to be announced.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of former Karnataka minister H D Revanna, was booked in four separate rape cases between April and May 2024, following the circulation of sexually explicit videos allegedly featuring him. The case in which he has been convicted pertains to a complaint filed by a domestic worker employed at his family’s farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district.
According to the prosecution, the survivor had worked for the family for nearly a decade and accused Revanna of raping her multiple times between 2021 and 2024. The FIR in this case was the first among the four, registered on April 28, 2024, under IPC Sections 376(2)(k) and 376(2)(n) (rape), 354A, 354B, 354C (sexual harassment and voyeurism), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 201 (destruction of evidence), along with Section 66E of the IT Act.
The investigation was led by the Karnataka SIT set up in May last year, after videos allegedly showing Revanna assaulting multiple women were leaked ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Revanna, who was abroad at the time, was arrested upon landing in Bengaluru on May 31, 2024.
In September, the SIT filed a 1,625-page chargesheet, citing extensive digital and video evidence, forensic reports, and witness accounts. The survivor’s deposition was completed in May 2025 and was followed by cross-examination and testimonies from her family members.
Over the course of the trial, court examined 23 witnesses. A major portion of the evidence submitted comprised call records, digital devices, CCTV footage, and forensic reports from the state laboratory.
In its order, the special court rejected Revanna’s repeated claims that the case was politically motivated and based on doctored videos. It held that the survivor’s testimony was consistent and supported by medical and forensic records. Court also took note of attempts to delay proceedings, including repeated adjournments sought by the defence to cross-examine witnesses.
Earlier, the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court had denied him bail, citing the gravity of the allegations and his potential to influence witnesses and tamper with evidence.
The verdict comes as the trial in a second rape case involving a former Zilla Panchayat member is underway. That case involves allegations of repeated rape, criminal intimidation, and blackmail with explicit videos. Two more complaints, filed by women who alleged that they were sexually assaulted and filmed without consent, are under investigation.