Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna may have been sentenced to life in prison but the woman he sexually assaulted and her family remain traumatised, fearful and uprooted from their homes, her son-in-law told The Indian Express hours after the court judgement.
“After the traumatic cross-examinations, despite assurances from police, we did not have any hope that justice would be served because of the influence Prajwal Revanna’s family has,” said the son-in-law. “We got justice but the trauma and fear will continue to haunt us.”
The former JD(S) leader, 34, is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and the son of the former Karnataka minister H D Revanna. A special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru on Saturday sentenced him to life imprisonment in one of four cases of rape and sexual harassment registered against him in 2024.
The man said his mother-in law, a former domestic worker at a farmhouse that belongs to Prajwal’s family, broke down many times during the cross-examination because of the questions thrown at her. “However, she remained strong and gave a statement before the court.”
The investigation team’s chief BK Singh, too, hailed her resolve, saying on Saturday: “The survivor stood like a rock. The defence tried every possible way to derail the court proceedings, but she stood strong and even when she was cross-examined for eight hours.”
Unable to live in her village, which showed little empathy, the woman is now working in Bengaluru. It was an SIT official who helped her get the job in the city.
The son-in-law, a carpenter who also lives at a different place now, said his family was concerned about their safety. “Even to this day we live in fear. After the judgment was announced, one SIT officer called me and said to not reveal my whereabouts with anyone. For over a year, we have followed what SIT police told us to do and we will continue to do so,” he said.
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“She may not be able to return back to her home. In the last one year, she visited only once to the village (in Mysuru district) but stayed for a brief time. The village is yet to accept her as the victim and show empathy. We felt outcast in the village. There were also a lot of rumours that were being spread,” he said.
The son-in-law praised the SIT for backing the woman. “Initially, I had filed a kidnap complaint but later the SIT took her in. They instilled faith, provided her protection and gave hopes to rebuild our lives. If not, our lives would have been tragic, given the background of Prajwal Revanna, especially in our (Hassan and Mysuru districts) region.”
Prajwal has been in prison since May 31, 2024, when he was arrested on his return from Germany, where he had fled following the emergence of explicit videos of sexual attacks on women. The videos, allegedly recorded by him on his mobile phone, were leaked ahead of the April 26, 2024, Parliament election in Hassan, where Prajwal was the candidate for the JDS-BJP alliance.
The man recalled that the video of the assault came as a shock for the family. “She was taking care of eldest daughter who had delivered a baby five months ago and the video went viral just a day after my wife delivered the baby. It is still hard to process.”
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“She stayed for a couple of months in the village after the case as there was a police protection provided to her and to the members of the house. But it became hard as she needed to work for her livelihood. Then, I took her to a SIT police officer who helped to get a job and shelter in Bengaluru,” the son-in-law said.
When the victim thought she was the accused
The victim was initially unaware of the SIT’s probe into the videos. She was, in fact, planning to run after getting a call that told her she was a suspect in a fake voting case.
Four days later, she came to know that the video of her rape had come into public domain. In her family, her son-in-law was the first to be informed. “One of my relatives sent the video and I was in rude shock. Immediately, I called her and then informed KR Nagar police. By then SIT also came to know her whereabouts and then they took her to Bengaluru,” he said.
The SIT in its charge sheet had named 26 witnesses, 180 documents and many pieces of evidence including FSL reports.