Prajwal Revanna convicted of rape; sentencing on Saturday in high-profile Karnataka case

Bengaluru: Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has been convicted of raping a 48-year-old domestic worker in a high-profile case that has shaken Karnataka politics.

The verdict was pronounced on 1 August 2025, and sentencing is scheduled for Saturday, 2 August.

What is the case?

The victim, who worked at the Revanna family’s farmhouse in Gannikada, Hassan, alleged that she was raped twice — once at the farmhouse and again at Prajwal’s residence in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. The accused is said to have recorded the act on his mobile phone.

This conviction is the first in a series of four pending sexual assault and rape cases against Prajwal Revanna. The trial in this case concluded on 18 July 2025.

The woman was reportedly abducted in 2024 to prevent her from testifying, allegedly on the orders of Prajwal's parents, former minister H.D. Revanna and Bhavani Revanna. She was later rescued by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CID, led by ADGP B.K. Singh, from a farmhouse in K.R. Nagar.

Prajwal Revanna, the son of H.D. Revanna, has been held in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison for the past 14 months. He is the prime accused in multiple sexual abuse cases that surfaced just after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Obscene videos showing the abuse of several women were leaked on social media, and pen drives containing such footage were recovered from Hassan.

Revanna fled India on 27 April 2024 and was arrested upon returning from Germany at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on 31 May 2024. The Karnataka government has appointed a CID-led SIT to investigate the full extent of the allegations.