Ex-JD (S) MP Prajwal Revanna convicted of sexually abusing domestic help

A Special Court in Bengaluru on Friday convicted former MP and suspended Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader Prajwal Revanna in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases against him.

In this case, a 48-year-old woman domestic help had accused Revanna of raping her twice at his family’s farmhouse in Karnataka’s Hassan district in 2021. She also said that he recorded the act on his mobile phone.

Special Court Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat said that the sentencing will be announced on Saturday.

In other cases, Revanna is facing rape and sexual harassment charges. A special investigation team (SIT) is probing these cases.

The cases came to light after pen-drives with explicit videos of Revanna were said to have been circulated in Hassan ahead of the 2024 general elections. The SIT was formed in May 2024 to look into the matter. He was suspended from the JD (S) after allegations against him became public.

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Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who is also the patriarch of the JD (S). His father, HD Revanna, is a former minister of the Karnataka government. The allegations against him had raised a political storm in Karnataka.

The JD (S) is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Union minister HD Kumaraswamy is Revanna’s uncle.