'Power Of Justice Is Above All': Victim's Family On Prajwal Revanna's Rape Conviction

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4 days ago

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The survivor in this case had faced intense abuse and was even kidnapped to a farmhouse when panic set in within the Revanna family about Prajwal's victims going public
There is a sense of relief in the houses of the survivors who were victims of Prajwal Revanna and his dastardly acts of rape on several women. When the special court trying the former MP's case pronounced a life term for Revanna, they felt that the courts and the SIT had done right by them.
Former Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan and grandson of former PM Deve Gowda, Prajwal Revanna, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Bengaluru for raping his house help.
'It took a lot of courage to go to the police and file an FIR. They are a powerful political family. Taking them on itself made us shudder. But today we believe that the power of justice is above all," said a family member of the survivor who worked as a house help in the Revanna farmhouse and was subjected to rape and abuse over several years since 2021.
This is the first among the four cases that the SIT is investigating, and the special court has delivered its verdict, sentencing Prajwal Revanna to life imprisonment — considered one of the harshest punishments.
The survivor in this case had faced intense abuse and was even kidnapped to a farmhouse when panic set in within the Revanna family about Prajwal's victims going public.
The biggest fear among all survivors was that they were taking on one of the most powerful political families in Karnataka. They believed Prajwal used his political power and control to inflict abuse and silence the victims.
'We are happy he has been punished with the harshest sentence possible. It was very important for us that the name of my relative be cleared — she had done no wrong. She pleaded to be let go, but they misused their power," said another relative, adding that the verdict has brought some solace through this traumatic ordeal.
The son of the survivor, who worked as a housemaid in the Hassan farmhouse, had earlier recounted how she had managed to escape after being held captive in Mysuru.
The survivor lived in constant fear. Her video was circulated among others in the car, making the crime even more serious. She was even kidnapped to prevent her from being questioned by the police.
'She has not stopped crying. She's terrified that people know about the videos. But we must say We've received immense support and courage, and this verdict has emboldened us," said another relative.
According to the FIR filed by the survivor's son — the case for which Prajwal was convicted — an aide of former minister and JD(S) MLA H D Revanna and his wife Bhavani allegedly kidnapped the survivor.
The son alleged that the aide warned his parents not to speak to the police. 'He threatened us that we'd be booked in a case and told us to alert him if the police came," the son had told News18 earlier.
The FIR states that on April 29 , just days after the 2024 Lok Sabha polling around 9 pm, the aide returned and warned again that if his mother was caught by the police, a case would be filed and the whole family would be jailed. He claimed that H D Revanna had asked for his mother to be brought to him.
'He forced my mother to accompany him on his bike," the son said in his FIR to the police based on which the case was built.
It was only hours later that he learned a video of his mother being raped by Prajwal Revanna was circulating.
'They told me that despite my mother pleading to be spared, Prajwal raped her., ' the son told News18 earlier.
The son had also told News18, 'The SIT said they will stand with us. They've treated us well and told us not to hesitate or feel ashamed."
The verdict in this case has given hope to other survivors awaiting justice, said another relative of this survivor.
One of the first FIRs filed against the former MP was by a 44-year-old former ZP member and JD(S) worker on May 1, 2024. She accused Prajwal of raping her multiple times over three years and videotaping the alleged acts.
Unlike the case of the house help who was present at the Revanna household , this woman — a JD(S) functionary — had to meet the MP officially. She said she had to frequently interact with Prajwal and his father, H D Revanna, the MLA from Holenarasipura, to get clearances for development works.
In 2021, she had met Prajwal seeking hostel seats for women students at a Hassan college. After being made to wait several hours, she was asked to meet him in his antechamber. That's when he allegedly used force, recorded her, and warned her not to tell anyone — threatening to use the video and his influence if she didn't obey. She claimed he also threatened her with expulsion from JD(S) if she refused.
'She was subjected to such torture. All we want is for this criminal to be punished. The verdict gives us hope that we'll get justice too. The SIT has repeatedly told us to trust their investigation — the truth will come out. We hope the court gives him the harshest sentence in our case too," said a relative of the second victim. Cross-examination in this case is now complete and the trial is nearing conclusion.
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 03, 2025, 10:09 IST
News india 'Power Of Justice Is Above All': Victim's Family On Prajwal Revanna's Rape Conviction
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