Bengaluru, Aug 2: Former MP from Hassan and grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has been sentenced to life time imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs five lakh each in two counts of rape, totalling of Rs 10 lakh.
Court Delivers First Rape Conviction
Delivering the judgement in one of the four rape cases, Special Court for Eelected Representatives Santhosh Gajanana Bhat directed that Rs seven lakh of the fine amount should be paid to the 47-year-old victim, who used to work as domestic help in the house of Prajwal Revanna.
The court has stressed about two sections of the seven sections, under which Prajwal Revanna was charged and has delivered the judgement. First, unde Sec 376 (2)(k), amounting to rape and sentenced him for life imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs five lakh. The other Sec 376 (2)(n), which amounts to repeated sexual assault, the court sentenced him to `life long' life imprisonment and slapped a fine of another Rs five lakh.
Soon after delivering the judgement in the court, Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat asked the court to issue a free copy of the judgement to the accused and his counsel.
On Saturday morning, soon after the court assembled, the judge asked if the prosecution had anything to say about the quantum of the punishment. The Judge also noted that there was no need to read anything from the statement made by the victim in the court.
Victim’s Plight and Prosecutor's Arguments
The Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Naik said that the victim was helpless in the hands of the offender, as he was a powerful person, as she was working as domestic help for a paltry Rs 10,000 in his house. He also made a video recording of the sexual assault and used it to blackmail her. It was not just a physical assault, but also emotional blackmail. When the videos were out in the public domain, the victim attempted suicide.
Under such circumstances, the accused should be given the maximum punishment. Besides, the victim is struggling to make a living after the incident came out in the public. She can't even leave the house and she has no means of living. The court should levy a heavy fine on the accused, who is rich and give it to the victim as compensation. There are instances where the Supreme Court has levied fine up to Rs 25 lakh, he noted.
Prajwal Revanna’s Defence
Then the judge turned to Prajwal Revanna and asked him if he wanted to tell anything about the issue. Prajwal Revanna, who was crying ever since he entered the courtroom, said that no one had lodged a complaint against him when he was Member of Parliament or when he allegedly did these things.
However, the entire issue was made viral when he was seeking re-election in 2024. Though no one lodged a complaint against him, the police did register a case. There was a conspiracy to finish him politically and the case was the result of that.
Stating that he was a merit student in the college also, where he studied Mechanical Engineering, Prajwal Revanna said that his only mistake was his rise in politics at a very early age. Barring that, he had not made any mistakes.
Judgement Reserved and Delivered
After listening to the argument from both the sides, Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat adjourned the court to post lunch session. Soon after the court assembled after lunch, the judge pronounced his order.
More Legal Trouble Ahead for Prajwal Revanna
This is the first of the four rape cases lodged against Prajwal Revanna, which has completed the hearing and the judgement has come out. Apart from this, Prajwal Revanna is facing three more rape cases. Besides, Prajwal Revanna is one of the nine accused in the kidnap case of the same domestic help, in which he got a conviction. The other accused in the kidnap case include his father Revanna and mother Bhavani.
Ever since the investigation in the case began, the SIT formed by the Karnataka government took Prajwal Revanna to custody with a body warrant. For the last 14 months, Prajwal Revanna is in jail under body warrant and not under arrest.
How the Case Unfolded
During the 2024 general elections to Parliament, Prajwal Revanna was seeking re-election from Hassan constituency. A week before the polling, a huge number of obscene videos, which was said to be shot by Prajwal Revanna surfaced and went viral. One of the women, the domestic help in the house of Revanna, was seen pleading with Prajwal to spare her.
Soon after the polling was over, a number of organisations went on protest, demanding investigation into the videos and action against Prajwal Revanna.
Soon after the polling, Prajwal Revanna went absconding, but said that he was in Germany and had gone there on a pre-scheduled visit.
Prajwal Revanna lost the election by a margin of over 30,000 votes.
The State government formed an SIT to probe into all angles of the videos that went viral. After a few days, the SIT wrote to CBI for issuing a red corner notice to get Prajwal Revanna back to India.
Prajwal Revanna returned to India and he was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport. SIT got a body warrant against him.
Meanwhile, the domestic help, who was said to be the first victim went missing. Later, she was found abducted in a farm house near Hunsur and the SIT took her to their custody. A complaint was taken from the woman and a statement before the magistrate was recorded.
Though the SIT traced many women, whose videos were found in Prajwal's mobile phone, none of them came forward to lodge a complaint. At the end, the SIT got complaints from three victims and lodged FIRs against Prajwal.
