Prajwal Revanna convicted in sexual abuse case, sentencing tomorrow

Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna

A special court on Friday convicted former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases against him. The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Saturday.

The court on July 30 had adjourned the verdict in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases registered against Revanna to Friday. According to The New Indian Express, Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat of the Special Court for the trial of criminal cases against present and former MPs/MLAs sought clarification on Google Maps data, technical evidence, and FSL reports.

The former Hassan MP was accused of allegedly raping a 47-year-old former domestic worker at his farmhouse. The victim filed a complaint at the Holenarasipura Town Police Station in Hassan on April 28 last year.

As per the report, before pronouncing the verdict, the court sought certain clarifications from lawyers on both sides. It asked for explanations regarding mobile location data and other technical evidence.

The judge has said that since clarification was required, the verdict could not be delivered on July 30. JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s grandson, Prajwal Revanna, who was produced before the court, was taken back to Bengaluru Central Prison under tight security.

Prajwal Revanna, the son of former minister and Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, has been lodged at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison for the past 14 months. He is the prime accused in multiple sexual abuse and rape cases that came to light a day after the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

Obscene videos allegedly showing the sexual abuse of multiple women surfaced on social media, and pen drives containing such clips were recovered in Hassan. Prajwal later fled the country on April 27, 2024.

Following the registration of the cases, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CID to investigate all allegations against him. Prajwal was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru upon his arrival from Munich, Germany, on May 31 last year.