'Only mistake I made was growing fast in politics': Prajwal Revanna told court before life sentence in rape case; broke down during hearing

NEW DELHI: Suspended JD(S) leader and former MP Prajwal Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Bengaluru on Saturday in connection with a rape case involving a 47-year-old woman. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the 34-year-old, as reported by news agency PTI.

Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, broke down in court during the sentencing hearing, claiming he had done “nothing wrong” and pleading for leniency. “The only mistake I made in my life is growing fast in politics,” he told the court, as reported by PTI.


Also read: Prajwal Revanna gets life imprisonment for raping 47-year-old domestic worker

The suspended JD(S) MP further said, “I have a family, I have not seen my mother and father for six months now… please give me a less sentence is what I request the court.”

The case pertains to a domestic help who was allegedly raped by Revanna twice—in 2021 at the family’s Gannikada farmhouse in Holenarasipura and later at a residence in Bengaluru. The accused had allegedly recorded the act on his mobile phone.

Ahead of sentencing, Revanna, claimed the charges against him were politically motivated. “They say that I have raped multiple women, but none of the women have come out voluntarily to complain, they came six days prior to election (Lok Sabha polls last year)... the prosecution side brought them purposefully and made them give a complaint,” he told the court, as quoted by PTI.

Also read: Prajwal Revanna conviction, a sex scandal that shook Karnataka

Revanna also questioned the timing of the complaint, pointing out that the victim had not reported the alleged crime to her husband or relatives until explicit videos began circulating. “She comes and gives complaint when certain videos were circulated,” he said.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had been tasked with probing the multiple cases against Revanna, filed a 1,632-page chargesheet in September 2024, featuring 113 witnesses. He was booked under several IPC sections including 376(2)(k), 376(2)(n), 354A, 354B, 354C, 506, and 201, as well as Section 66E of the IT Act.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Nayak, the prosecution relied on digital evidence, including videos recorded by the accused, DNA reports, and material recovered years after the alleged incidents. “The clothes worn by the victim during the rape were also identified and seized after three-four years,” he said, crediting the Investigation Officer for preserving critical forensic evidence.

Revanna was arrested on May 31 last year after landing in Bengaluru from Germany. The allegations first came to light in April 2024, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, when pen drives containing explicit videos allegedly featuring him were circulated in Hassan. He later failed to retain his Hassan constituency seat in the polls. Following the emergence of these cases, the JD(S) suspended him from the party.

(With inputs from PTI)
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