In a major legal development, former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment on Saturday by the Special Court for MPs and MLAs in connection with the Karnataka obscene video and rape case. Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was convicted on Friday in a case that drew national attention during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The case stemmed from a rape and sexual assault complaint filed by a domestic worker from K.R. Nagar. During the election period, videos surfaced allegedly showing Revanna sexually assaulting multiple women and filming the acts. Following the voting, Revanna fled the country but was arrested upon his return to Bengaluru on May 31, 2024.
During sentencing, Revanna broke down in court and made an emotional appeal for leniency. “They say that I have raped multiple women, but none of the women have come out voluntarily to complain,” he argued, stating that the complaints emerged just six days before the election and were orchestrated by the prosecution.
He also claimed that one of the complainants had not informed her husband or family before the videos became public. “The only mistake I made in my life is growing fast in politics,” Revanna said.
Revanna told the court he had not seen his parents for six months and pleaded, “Please give me a less sentence... I bow down to the court's conviction.”
