Ex-MP Prajwal Revanna Found Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting House Help

Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna was convicted of raping his house help by a special court in Bengaluru on Friday. The special court for MPs/MLAs in Bengaluru said it will announce the quantum of punishment against Revanna, the grandson of ex-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, on Saturday.

A woman who worked as a domestic help at Revanna's family's farmhouse accused Revanna of repeatedly raping her since 2021 and threatening to release videos of the abuse if she revealed the incidents to anyone.

The court, which concluded hearings in the matter on July 18, deferred the judgment on July 30, citing the need for certain clarifications.

During the trial, the court examined Revanna, who was arrested on May 31 last year, and all 26 witnesses. It then framed charges against him under various sections, including rape, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, and unlawful circulation of intimate images.

Revanna, 34, is also facing three other criminal cases that were filed in 2024, after over 2,000 obscene video clips -- allegedly depicting the sexual abuse of multiple women -- surfaced on social media.

In one of the cases, which was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on May 1, he is accused of repeatedly raping a 44-year-old former member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat.

The other case pertains to the rape of a woman, in her 60s, from Mysuru, who was also a domestic help.

Another case was registered against Revanna, accusing him of sexual harassment, on June 12 in Bengaluru. In this case, he has been charged with sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, and violation of the privacy of the IT Act. The complainant said she was sexually harassed over a video call.

He had failed to retain Karnataka's Hassan parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He was also suspended by the JD(S) following the cases filed against him.