Karnataka Sex Scandal: A Bengaluru court has sentenced Prajwal Revann to life in prison for multiple crimes, which included repeatedly raping and videotaping his maid.
Santhosh Gajanan Bhat was the Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge who delivered this landmark decision on Saturday. He also ordered Revanna to pay compensation of Rs 11 lakh to his victim. Prajwal Revanna was found guilty under both the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. The court imposed strict penalties for Revanna’s actions.
He was charged with violating Section 376(2)(k) for abuse of a dominant position, which carries a life sentence and a fine of Rs5 lakh; Section 376(2) (n) for repeated rapes, which carries a life sentence until death, as well as another penalty of Rs5 lakh; and various other crimes, such as voyeurism and assaults, criminal intimidation, and financial penalties, all of them carrying sentences of 2-7 years.
This case revolves around a horrific series of events that dates back to 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown. A maid working at Prajwal Revanna’s farm revealed to the victim that the videos were being used as a way of intimidating her. In 2023, after images of several assaults were posted online and on social media outlets, she filed a formal report. This sparked a public uproar. The Special Investigation Team, which conducted the investigation, found over 2,900 video recordings of Prajwal Revanna’s sexual assaults. The evidence was confirmed through forensic analyses.
Also See: Prajwal Revanna Breaks Down in Bengaluru Court after Rape Conviction
The Special Public Prosecutor BN Jagadeesha demanded that the harshest sentences be imposed. The SPP said that the crime was committed with grave intent and motive and that the defendant must answer for the crimes he has committed.
Nalina Mayegowda is the senior advocate for the defense who represents Prajwal Revanna. She emphasized his many charitable donations over the years and asked the Court to be lenient, saying that the case had already tarnished his reputation. Prajwal Revanna expressed his regrets, saying, “I was involved in politics from a young age, and that has been costly.” But I’ll bow down to the Court and accept its decision.
These pleas for leniency were rejected by the court due to the serious nature of the crimes committed and the damage caused to victims.
Prajwal Revanna’s situation was also scrutinized due to the delays in reporting initial assaults that occurred in 2021 and discrepancies, such as not recovering the original devices to record crimes. The court ruled that the victim’s evidence was credible, and the case could proceed, even though the procedural delays were there.
Prajwal Revanna fled Germany after the elections of 2024 due to mounting accusations. He was, however, arrested on his return to India in May 2024 and has remained behind bars since that time. In August 2024, the SIT presented its complete chargesheet, which included four volumes of testimony and material evidence against Revanna. The trial court dismissed Revanna’s discharge application, noting that there were sufficient grounds for proceeding based on the forensic evidence and testimony.
Also See: Former MP Prajwal Reanna is found guilty in Sexual Assault Case
This judgment puts an end to a case that has been ongoing for a very long time and highlights the need to provide justice to survivors of sexual crime. The Court took a strong stance on abuse of position and power by sentencing Revanna according to the maximum legal sentence.
The Case
Prajwal Revanna was charged with numerous IPC and IT Act violations, which resulted in a life sentence and other concurrent sentences. The charges against Prajwal Revanna included numerous violations under the IPC, IT Act, and 354A. He received a life sentence and additional concurrent sentences.
