Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda; The former Hassan MP was suspended from JD(S) after the cases were filed against him
Former MP and suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna was on Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment in a rape and sexual harassment case. Announcing the verdict the Special Court for MPs/MLAs Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat also imposed a total fine of Rs 10 lakh on the accused.
There are four separate cases registered against Prajwal Revanna
The court had on Friday convicted the 34-year-old in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases registered against him, reserving the sentencing for Saturday, according to reports
Arrested in May last year upon his arrival from Germany, Prajwal had been booked under various sections, including being in a position of control or dominance over a woman and committing rape on such a woman
The case
This particular case against Prajwal, who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Hassan in Karnataka, pertains to a 47-year-old woman working as a help at the family farmhouse in Holenarasipura in the Hassan district.
Prajwal Revanna, who claimed no wrong doing, called it a case of political jealousy and rivalry.
Breaking down in court, he appealed for a lesser punishment, according to reports.
He told the court that he was a BE Mechanical graduate and a meritorious student. He also claimed that none of the women had come out voluntarily to complain. They only started complaining six days before the Lok Sabha polls last year, he claimed, saying that hsi only mistake was “growing fast in politics”.
The cases came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna and his father were reportedly circulated in Hassan ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls there.
He was arrested by the SIT on May 31 last year upon arrival at Bengaluru Airport from Germany.
Who is Prajwal Revanna
Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
In 2015, he was among the 10 young aspiring politicians in India to be chosen by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, UK, to be exposed to the British way of governance.
In 2019, Deve Gowda fielded Prajwal from Hassan for the Lok Sabha, himself moving to Tumkur.
Prajwal won from Hassan, becoming the only winner among the six candidates fielded by the party.
He was re-fielded from Hassan by JD(S), an NDA ally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also campaigned for him. Rival Congress attacked PM Modi and the BJP, accusing them of feilding and canvassing for Prajwal Revanna despite being informed by Karnataka BJP leaders about his “sexual misconduct.”
Prajwal Revanna failed to retain Hassan and the JD(S) suspended him from the party after the cases were filed against him.
