A court in southern India has sentenced Prajwal Revanna, a former Member of Parliament from Karnataka, to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a domestic worker.
The sentencing took place on Saturday, just a day after the court convicted him of the crime.
Revanna, aged 34, belongs to a powerful political family in Karnataka.
He is the grandson of former Indian Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and a member of the Janata Dal (Secular) party, which has a political alliance with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The case against Revanna began in 2023 when numerous explicit videos, allegedly featuring him, started circulating on social media.
The videos sparked national outrage and led to widespread public attention. Despite claiming the videos were altered, the incident prompted serious legal action.
In April 2024, Revanna left India using a diplomatic passport shortly after the videos began to spread across Karnataka.
He remained silent publicly, although a staff member stated the clips were manipulated.
He returned to India a month later and was arrested upon arrival from Germany.
During the trial, Revanna denied all allegations. However, after being found guilty, he appeared emotional in court and asked for a lighter punishment.
The court did not grant leniency and handed down a life sentence.
This case is notable due to Revanna’s strong political connections, which often shield individuals in similar situations from prosecution.
His conviction and sentencing have drawn attention for being uncommon in the Indian legal system.
Revanna still faces two more rape cases and a separate charge of sexual harassment.
He has denied all further allegations. As per legal procedure, he has the right to challenge the sentence in a higher court.