Prajwal Revanna moves Karnataka High Court challenging conviction, life sentence in rape case

Former Member of Parliament (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 Revanna v. State Special Investigation Team]

Revanna 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 a domestic worker in Holenarasipur and Banashankari, Bengaluru. The alleged offence by Prajwal Revanna is that he raped a domestic worker at two locations - one in his farmhouse in Holenarasipur's Gannigarh and another at Banashankari in Bengaluru.

According to the case records, the alleged 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.

The appeal has been filed through advocate Basavaraj Sappannavar. The High Court is yet to hear the appeal.