Prominent former Indian MP sentenced to life for raping woman after investigation sparked when hundreds of explicit videos featuring him flooded social media
Prajwal Revanna, 34, the grandson of former Indian Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, broke down in court as he begged for leniency on Friday - only to be handed the maximum sentence just a day later.
In her testament, the victim stated she had been raped twice by Revanna - once at a farmhouse and again at his residence in Bengaluru's Basavanagudi during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021.
According to an NDTV report, Revanna had recorded the assault and threatened to release the videos if she told anyone about what he had done.
'The sexual assault video reflects Prajwal's sadistic mindset. He was a sitting MP, fully aware of the law, yet committed such acts. He is a habitual offender who recorded videos of multiple women. The maximum punishment must be imposed,' Special Public Prosecutor BN Jagadish reportedly told the court.
'A strong message must be sent that wealth and political power do not guarantee leniency. Courts must counter the public perception that influential people get away with lighter sentences while ordinary citizens face the full brunt of the law,' he added.
In his final statement before the sentencing, Revanna said: 'Why did this case come out during the elections?
'When I was an MP, no complaints were lodged against me. They now say I committed multiple sexual assaults. Why didn't anyone come forward then? Why did the case surface only during the election?'
Te former MP's fall from grace rocked southern India 's Karnataka state, where he hails rom a dynasty deeply connected to the ruling elite. Revanna's Janata Dal (Secular) party is currently allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.
The scandal first exploded in 2023, when hundreds of explicit videos allegedly featuring Revanna began circulating online, sparking national outrage.
He fled from India to Germany in April 2024 on a diplomatic passport, refusing to comment on the footage - which his office claimed to had been doctored.
But on May 31, after boarding a flight to Bengaluru from Frankfurt Main airport, he was intercepted and arrested by the all-women Special Investigation Team and remanded to custody.
The following month, the Special Court for MPs and MLAs denied bail to Revanna, whose case was then handed to Karnataka High Court in July, where his bail plea was once again rejected.
On November 2, Revanna's DNA was found on the undergarments of the rape victim, and nine days later, the Supreme Court again denied the former MP bail.
Despite maintaining his innocence, Revanna was convicted of raping the unnamed woman, and faces two additional rape cases and one sexual harassment case still pending in court.
It is highly unusual for someone with such political influence to face such a severe punishment in India, where powerful figures often evade justice.
Revanna can appeal against the sentence.
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