Prajwal Revanna rape case: SIT files 2,000-page charge sheet, cites 150 witnesses

BENGALURU: Probing the rape allegations against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna and his father and MLA HD Revanna for sexual harassment, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department of Karnataka have filed a charge sheet.

The charge sheet runs to over 2,000 pages and contains statements given by 150 witnesses, said the SIT. The team is investigating four cases against Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister and party supremo Deve Gowda.

The charge sheet that the SIT submitted to the special trial court for MP/MLA cases is about one of those cases, this one involving alleged sexual assault of a domestic help of the family.

It contains spot inspection, biological, physical, scientific, mobile, digital and other relevant evidences which were gathered.

Expert opinion was taken before filing the charge sheet, the SIT said.

While Revanna, who is son of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, has been charged with section 354 and 354 (A) of the IPC, his 33-year-old son Prajwal has been booked under sections 376, 376 (2)(K), 354, 354(A) and 354(B) of the IPC.

The first complaint against the father-son duo was registered based on a complaint by the domestic help at their residence.

The victim, who was also a relative of the MLA's wife Bhavani, alleged that she was sexually harassed multiple times.

Prajwal had contested the recent Lok Sabha election as an NDA candidate from Hassan and lost.

Ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 26, a huge cache of explicit videos emerged on social media showing many women being sexually assaulted, allegedly by Prajwal.

Following this, Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women Nagalakshmi Chowdhary had sought an inquiry and wrote to the Congress government, which then ordered an investigation.