Bengaluru: Suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former MP Prajwal Revanna was convicted on Friday in a high-profile rape and sexual abuse case by a special court in Bengaluru. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Saturday by Special Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat.
Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was visibly shaken and broke down in court following the verdict. He exited the courtroom in tears, surrounded by heavy security.
This conviction comes just 14 months after the case was registered, marking one of the swiftest trial conclusions in a sexual assault case involving a prominent political figure.
The case exploded into public attention after over 2,000 explicit videos allegedly featuring the abuse of multiple women by Revanna were leaked and circulated on social media in April 2024, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Hassan. Pen drives containing the footage were reportedly distributed in the constituency, leading to public outrage and political fallout.
Revanna was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31, 2024, at Bengaluru Airport, after returning from Germany. The arrest was tied to an FIR registered at Holenarasipura Town Police Station.
Following the emergence of the scandal, JD(S) suspended Revanna, and he subsequently lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election in his stronghold of Hassan. He remains the prime accused in several ongoing investigations linked to the video leak and sexual exploitation.