Bengaluru — In a major legal development, former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first of three rape cases registered against him this year. A special court in Bengaluru, which handles cases involving elected representatives, delivered the judgment on Saturday — a day after finding the 34-year-old guilty of multiple charges, including rape, sexual harassment, and destruction of evidence.

The court also ordered Revanna to pay ₹11.25 lakh as compensation to the survivor, a woman who was employed as a domestic worker at the Revanna family’s farmhouse when the assault occurred.

A former Janata Dal (Secular) leader, Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and son of former Karnataka minister H.D. Revanna. He has been lodged in jail since May 31, after being arrested on arrival from Germany, where he had fled shortly after explicit videos showing sexual assaults on women surfaced ahead of the April 26 Lok Sabha elections in Hassan, where he was the NDA (JDS-BJP) candidate.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case said the videos, allegedly recorded by Revanna himself, were key pieces of evidence. However, the conviction was also strongly supported by a DNA analysis report. Investigators matched DNA found on the survivor’s clothing with samples collected from the accused.

The survivor's testimony was recorded on May 2, marking the beginning of the trial. Earlier, in December 2024, the SIT filed a 1,632-page chargesheet supported by 113 witnesses. The court formally framed charges on April 3, paving the way for the speedy trial and Saturday’s sentencing.

This is the first conviction in a total of four cases filed against Prajwal Revanna. Proceedings in the remaining cases are ongoing.