Bengaluru: Digital evidence including videos, DNA from the rape victim’s clothes and her testimony—this is what led to the conviction of former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, accused of raping a woman who worked for the family.
After the verdict, the 34-year-old grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was seen walking out of the special Bengaluru court sobbing. The quantum of the sentence will be given on 2 August.
The prosecution, according to details accessed by ThePrint, used a combination of digital evidence, including the videos recorded by Prajwal himself, DNA residues on the victim’s clothing as well as her testimony to build their case.
One crucial piece of evidence was the matching of Prajwal’s body parts with those found in the videos that he himself recorded. “A team of doctors examined the accused, took videos and pictures of his private organs. Then a report of this is made and sent to FSL (forensic science laboratories)…. It’s like fingerprint analysis,” Ashok Nayak, the Special Prosecutor in the case, told ThePrint.
Prajwal had recorded his sexual activities with multiple women in which the victims’ faces could be seen but not the accused. These videos helped a special investigation team (SIT) identify not just the victims, but also use it to build the case against Prajwal.
On the eve of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, some unidentified people dropped off hundreds of pen drives in stadiums, parks, bus stops and other public spaces. These pen drives contained videos of Prajwal Revanna preying on helpless women. Most of the women were either JD(S) party workers, from economically and socially disadvantaged groups.
Also read: ‘Revanna Republic of fear’ — how sexual assault, caste bias & abuse of power defined life in Hassan
‘DNA evidence from clothes’
After the videos went viral, four women came forward and lodged complaints. There were multiple other women in the videos, including government officials, who left town overnight. Some even tried taking their own lives.
“We were waiting for this verdict which proves that he is guilty of these heinous crimes,” said one relative of the victim, requesting anonymity.
Many women alleged that Prajwal had threatened them and their families of harm if they did not follow what he demanded. He would then record the sexual act and later use the same to blackmail them to submit to repeated rape.
Three other cases are at various other stages. In the case of raping the house help (for which he has been convicted) there is also a case of kidnapping, in which Prajwal’s parents are accused.
After Prajwal’s parents saw the viral videos, his mother Bhavani allegedly summoned the victim and sent her to the family’s farm in Hunsur. She was allegedly kept there so the special investigation team (SIT) could not meet her.
The victim’s 20-year-old son filed a complaint that H.D. Revanna and his aides had abducted his mother. Revanna was arrested in the case, stayed in jail for 10 days while Bhavani secured bail but was restricted from entering Hassan. This case is still pending.
In the rape case of this woman, the SIT found DNA evidence to prosecute Prajwal. The team found her petticoat at the farm house where she was kept, and found Prajwal’s DNA on it. The petticoat was also visible in one of the videos.
Also read: ‘We won’t be bought’ — family of Mysuru woman accuses Prajwal of rape, says she was ‘kidnapped’
‘People who circulated videos must be tried’
In 2024, ThePrint spoke to multiple victims who spoke of unspeakable atrocities by the Revannas who continue to have an iron grip over Hassan district. As one of the most influential and prominent political families, it was unthinkable for anyone to take on the might of the Revannas.
Deve Gowda has two sons—H.D. Revanna and H.D. Kumaraswamy. Revanna is a former minister and incumbent MLA of Holenarsipura. Kumaraswamy is two-time CM of Karnataka and incumbent cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers.
Revanna’s wife, Bhavani, is a former Zilla Panchayat member and older son, Suraj, is an incumbent MLC.
The victims were allegedly taken to locations away from Hassan soon after the complaints were filed. At least three of them were lodged in Bengaluru, working in hostels, and have been unable to go back as they allegedly face threats.
Roopa Hassan, a Hassan-based activist who has been counselling some of the unidentified victims, says that this case brings a lot of hope for the others who are yet to speak out.
She, however, laments how those who circulated the videos are still at large. “Most of the victims want those who distributed the videos to be brought to book. Many had forgotten about those horrors and were going on with their lives but the videos forced them into exile,” she told ThePrint.
According to multiple sources, the former driver of Prajwal gained access to the videos and colluded with others to distribute the videos. A former BJP MLA too is named as one of those behind the distribution of videos.
The police had kept helplines open and even tried convincing several other victims to file complaints. But only four complaints have been filed so far. One of the complaints is on the circulation of videos.
Advocates say Prajwal can appeal against the verdict.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: ‘Won’t be surprised if Prajwal is welcomed with garlands’—1 yr on, victims still hiding
