Here's Why A Special Court Sentenced Former Indian PM’s Grandson to Life Imprisonment for Heinous Crimes Against Women
India's Bengaluru Special Court sentenced Prajwal Revanna, the former Hassan MP and grandson of ex-Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, to life imprisonment for rape, abduction, voyeurism and digital evidence destruction, marking a historic fall for one of Karnataka’s most politically entrenched dynasties.
The court also imposed a ₹10 lakh fine on Revanna, directing ₹7 lakh of it to be paid as compensation to the 47-year-old domestic worker who was the survivor in the case.
 |
| Image Source: Mogali Reports on X |
The trial proceeded swiftly, with Judge Santosh Gajanana Bhat delivering the sentence within eight weeks of its commencement. Revanna, visibly distraught in court, broke down and pleaded for a lesser sentence, but the court refused to yield, stating that the gravity of the offence demanded nothing short of a life term.
The survivor, who had been rescued from a Mysuru farmhouse in April, alleged abduction and coercion at the behest of Revanna’s family to prevent her from filing formal charges. Her statement triggered a massive investigation.
The SIT, comprising 40 officers, submitted an 1,800-page, five-volume charge sheet that drew upon 180 documents and testimonies from 26 witnesses across 38 hearings.
Legal experts have called it one of the most comprehensive sexual crime trials in recent years involving a political figure.
While the court has delivered its verdict in this case, Revanna remains under trial in three more related cases tied to the same SIT investigation, all stemming from a scandal that has come to represent the worst of political impunity.
Women’s groups, legal experts, and civil rights organizations have hailed the ruling as a rare and hard-hitting moment of judicial assertion against power-backed sexual violence in India.
The case has also triggered calls for broader inquiries into the role of those who allegedly helped shield Revanna or obstructed justice during the course of the investigation.
The judgment not only deals a blow to the once-mighty Deve Gowda family’s political prestige but also serves as a litmus test for the judiciary’s resolve in dealing with high-profile crimes.
Revanna’s conviction has prompted political ripple effects throughout Karnataka and beyond, casting doubt over the JD(S)'s already embattled image and bringing deeper scrutiny to dynastic politics and the systemic enabling of abusers within positions of power.
For the survivor, the judgment represents a moment of long-awaited justice, albeit amidst immense trauma.
The ₹7 lakh compensation awarded is rare but seen as significant in setting a judicial tone for future cases.
More than a year since the videos first surfaced, justice has finally caught up -- and with it, a reminder that even the most powerful are not above the law in the Republic of India, of the public really take it upon themselves to ensure justice.