Special Court sentences former Hassan MP to life imprisonment for rape

Bengaluru: Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a 47-year-old domestic help, has been allotted prisoner number 15528 by the Bengaluru Central Prison authorities.

Earlier in a landmark judgment yesterday, the Special Court for Elected Representatives in Bengaluru sentenced the suspended JD(S) leader and former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, aged 34, to life imprisonment for the rape of a 47-year-old domestic help.

In addition to the life sentence, the Court imposed a fine of Rs. 11.60 lakh on Revanna, with Rs. 11.25 lakh to be paid as compensation to the survivor.

The sentencing came a day after the Court convicted Prajwal under multiple charges, including rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, destruction of evidence and violations under the Information Technology Act.

Delivering the verdict, Judge Santosh Gajanana Bhat noted the grave nature of the offences. The sentencing marks the conclusion of a fast-tracked trial that lasted eight weeks, coming nearly 14 months after Prajwal’s arrest in May 2024.

The case triggered national outrage after hundreds of pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos linked to Prajwal began circulating in his Hassan Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. He flew to Germany shortly after the videos surfaced and returned                                                                  only after the Lok Sabha elections concluded, when he was arrested upon his arrival at Bengaluru airport on May 31, 2025.

The survivor in this case was rescued from a farmhouse near Mysuru in April. She told Police she was abducted at the behest of Prajwal’s family in an attempt to coerce her into silence.

A special Investigation Team, (SIT) comprising 40 Police, had filed a 1,800-page report in five-volume. During the trial, 26 witnesses were cross-examined and 180 documents were presented in Court across 38 hearings.

On Friday, Prajwal appeared emotional in Court soon after the conviction and broke down again during yesterday’s sentencing, pleading for leniency. None of his family members were present in Court during the proceedings.

Prajwal, a one-time Lok Sabha MP from Hassan, still faces trial in three other cases linked to the broader sex scandal that continues to rock State politics.

Meanwhile, women’s rights activists have welcomed the verdict as a significant step towards justice for survivors of sexual violence, especially those from marginalised communities. Further developments are awaited in the other three pending cases involving Prajwal.

‘A conspiracy to tarnish my political future’

Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, in an emotional statement before the Special Court, said that the entire sex scandal was nothing but a conspiracy to tarnish his image and political career. The Special Court for Elected Representatives, which had convicted Prajwal Revanna on Friday, had asked the Police to produce him before the Court to announce the quantum yesterday. Before announcing the quantum of punishment, Prajwal Revanna made a statement before Judge Santosh Gajanana Bhat pleading for leniency stating that, he had earned a good name for himself as an MP in Hassan adding that the pen drives were distributed six days before the elections only to defeat him in the 2024 General Election to Lok Sabha.

“The only mistake I did was to grow swiftly in politics, I have a family and it has been six months since I have seen my mother and father. Please give me a lesser period of sentence, is what I request the Court,” pleaded Prajwal Revanna before the Judge.

Sections under which Prajwal Revanna was convicted

• IPC Section 376(2)(k): Rape of a woman by a person who is in a dominant position or a position of control – Life imprisonment and Rs. 5 lakh fine
• IPC Section 376(2)(n): Repeatedly raping a woman – Life imprisonment till death and Rs. 5 lakh fine
• IPC Section 354A: Outraging modesty – 3 years imprisonment and Rs. 25,000 fine
• IPC Section 354B: Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe – 7 years imprisonment and Rs. 50,000 fine
• IPC Section 354C: Voyeurism – 3 years imprisonment and Rs. 25,000 fine
• IPC Section 506: Criminal intimidation – 2 years imprisonment and Rs. 10,000 fine
• IPC Section 201: Destroying evidence of a crime – 3 years jail and Rs. 20,000 fine
• IT Act Section 66E: Punishment for violation of privacy – 3 years imprisonment and Rs. 25,000 fine.

It’s justice for women: Seema Latkar

Reacting to judgment of the Special Court, Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, who was one of the members of Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into sex scandal involving former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, welcomed the Court’s verdict stating it was “Justice for Women”.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, she said that the Court had taken the charge sheet filed by Special Investigation Team into cognizance.