Former MP and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna has approached the Karnataka High Court challenging his conviction for repeatedly raping his domestic help and recording videos of the act. Prajwal has also challenged the life sentence imposed on him by Bengaluru Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat on August 2.
Judge Bhat had sentenced him to life imprisonment for raping an old domestic worker. Prajwal is convicted for the offence of raping a domestic worker at two locations — one in his farmhouse in Holenarasipur’s Gannigarh and another at Banashankari in Bengaluru. The incidents took place between January 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022. In his plea, he has claimed contradictions between the victim’s complaint and
testimony, alleging that the police forced the victim to file the complaint.
He has questioned the reliability of evidence such as stains reportedly found on a bed years later. Prajwal has sought quashing of the trial court’s verdict and setting aside of his conviction on the ground that the prosecution’s case is full of inconsistencies and procedural lapses. Prajwal is facing trial in several rape cases and his 100s of videos of sexual abuse incidents came to public domain in mid 2024 during Lok Sabha elections and he lost the election. Prajwal is grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, who ordered his expulsion from the party after videos came out in public domain.