A court in Karnataka, southern India, has sentenced former politician Prajwal Revanna to life in prison after he was found guilty of raping one of his domestic staff. This verdict, delivered on Saturday, follows the surfacing of numerous explicit videos involving Revanna, which sparked national outrage in 2023. The 34-year-old, hailing from a prominent political family, denied the allegations up until his recent conviction. On the day of sentencing, he appealed for a reduced punishment but broke down in court when the life sentence was announced.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, fled India in April 2024 as the scandal grew, leveraging his diplomatic passport. After a month abroad, he returned from Germany and was arrested. This case is particularly significant as it highlights the rarity of legal consequences for figures in such influential positions within India. Alongside his current sentence, Revanna faces two additional rape allegations and one of sexual harassment, which he continues to deny. He plans to appeal the court's decision, as his legal battles are far from over amidst ongoing scrutiny over sexual violence in India.
