- Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment in a rape case on August 1, 2025
- The case involves the rape of a domestic worker in 2021 at two separate locations
- Revanna was arrested by an all-women SIT upon returning to India from Germany in May 2024
From the time a large number of pen drives allegedly containing his sex videos surfaced in Hassan in April 2024-amid the Lok Sabha election buzz-to his arrest by an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) upon his return from Germany on May 31, 2024, former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has been at the centre of a series of unexpected developments.
Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment in one of the cases against him on Saturday - a culmination of events that derailed his once-ambitious political career.
The case pertains to the rape of a 48-year-old woman who worked as domestic help at the family's Gannikada farmhouse in Hassan. She alleged she was raped twice by Revanna-once at the farmhouse and again at his residence in Bengaluru's Basavanagudi during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021.
Timeline of events
April 2024: Sex videos surfaced, sparking a nationwide uproar. He claimed the leak was politically motivated, aimed at derailing his chances of winning a Lok Sabha seat.
April 20, 2024: Revanna's election agent filed an FIR alleging that the videos were being circulated to tarnish his image ahead of the elections.
April 26, 2024: Polling for the Lok Sabha elections concludes; Revanna leaves the country on a diplomatic passport.
April 27, 2024: The Karnataka government constitutes an SIT to probe the allegations.
April 28, 2024: Revanna and his father, former minister H D Revanna, are booked for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint filed by their former domestic worker.
April 29, 2024: The complainant goes missing, allegedly abducted by Revanna's parents to prevent her from testifying against him.
April 30, 2024: JD(S) suspends Revanna from the party.
May 2, 2024: Karnataka Police book Revanna on rape charges and issue lookout notices for the "absconding" MP.
May 4, 2024: The abducted former domestic worker is rescued by the SIT.
May 30, 2024: Revanna boards a flight to Bengaluru from Frankfurt Main airport in Germany.
May 31, 2024: He is intercepted and arrested by the all-women SIT upon arrival and remanded to custody.
June 26, 2024: The Special Court for MPs and MLAs, set up to fast-track criminal cases against public representatives, denies bail to Revanna.
July 5, 2024: Revanna moves the Karnataka High Court seeking bail.
August 23, 2024: The SIT files the first chargesheet in the case.
September 9, 2024: The SIT submits a second chargesheet running into 1,632 pages.
October 21, 2024: The Karnataka High Court denies Revanna both regular and anticipatory bail in two rape cases and one sexual assault case.
November 2, 2024: Revanna's DNA is found on the undergarments of the alleged rape survivor.
November 11, 2024: The Supreme Court rejects Revanna's bail plea.
January 16, 2025: The Karnataka High Court denies his request for a print copy of all digital evidence in the rape case.
May 1, 2025: The Karnataka High Court dismisses a petition filed by his mother, Bhavani Revanna, seeking more time to appoint a new advocate.
May 2, 2025: Trial begins in the Special Court for MPs and MLAs in the rape case filed by the former domestic worker.
July 18, 2025: Trial concludes; the court reserves its verdict for July 30.
July 30, 2025: The Special Court seeks clarification and adjourns the case to August 1.
August 1, 2025: The Special Court convicts Revanna of rape; the quantum of punishment was scheduled to be pronounced the following day.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
