Rape Case: Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna given life sentence

Former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna was sentenced to “imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life” by a special court on Saturday (August 2, 2025), a day after he was convicted of raping a domestic worker multiple times on his family’s farm, one of four cases of rape & sexual abuse filed against him.

Prajwal, the former MP from Hassan in Karnataka, is the grandson of former Prime Minister & JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. He was suspended from the party in the wake of multiple rape allegations.

Delivering his verdict, Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat of the Special Court of Sessions for criminal cases against former & present MPs & MLAs convicted Prajwal on all the charges framed against him in this case.

Maximum punishment
While Prajwal was sentenced to “imprisonment for life which shall mean remainder of natural life” under Section 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (repeated rape on the same woman), the maximum punishment possible under the Section, he was also sentenced to “imprisonment for life” under Section 376(2)(k) (being in a position of control or dominance over a woman, commits rape on such woman), apart from a host of other sections of the IPC & Information Technology Act, 2000. 

The Judgment also imposed a total penalty of ₹11.60 lakh on the convict & ordered that ₹11.25 lakh be paid to the victim in the case.

‘Political conspiracy’
In a packed court on Saturday (August 2, 2025), Prajwal broke down after the verdict was declared, alleging a “political conspiracy” behind the case.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda with his son H.D. Revanna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, & grandson Prajwal Revanna. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The victim in this case was a 48-year-old domestic worker employed on the family’s farm who was raped twice in 2021, with the act being filmed by the former MP. The video of the rape was leaked, along with several other explicit clips featuring nearly a hundred women, in April 2024, days ahead of the Lok Sabha election. 

‘Victim’s fight is inspiring’
Following the verdict, B.K. Singh, chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the allegations against Prajwal, said the victim in the case belonged to the lowest strata of society. Her fight against the accused, who belongs to the most powerful political family of the State, was “inspiring”, he said.

Special Public Prosecutor Asok Nayak said the trial being completed within a year & four months after the case was registered, & the conviction of a former MP, had sent out a strong message. 

Of the four cases filed against Prajwal, this is the first where the trial has been completed. While the trial has begun in another case, it is yet to begin in two other cases.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the LatestLaws staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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