Former Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) MP Prajwal Revanna is facing serious charges after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a comprehensive chargesheet against him on Friday.
The 2,144-page chargesheet, as reported by The Hindu, accuses Prajwal of rape and sexual harassment under specific sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Notably, Prajwal is listed as accused number 2, while his father, H.D. Revanna, is named as accused number 1 and is also charged with sexual harassment.
The case at hand, one of four under investigation by the SIT, involves allegations from a woman who worked as a domestic helper for Prajwal's family. She claims that Prajwal sexually assaulted her and filmed the act in Bengaluru. Additionally, Prajwal is accused of forcing the woman’s daughter to strip during a video call.
H.D. Revanna, on the other hand, faces charges of sexually harassing the same woman at their family residence in Holenarasipura, Karnataka, over a period spanning from 2019 to 2022.
The chargesheet includes testimony from other women who have also accused Prajwal of sexual harassment, as reported by The Indian Express. It further alleges that Prajwal attempted to destroy electronic evidence, including videos of the abuse, which he had recorded on his phone.
Of the three other cases pending against Prajwal, two involve additional rape accusations - one from a JD(S) worker and another from a woman employed at his family home. According to The News Minute, a total of five women have lodged complaints against Prajwal, with the most recent accusation of sexual harassment being filed in June.
The allegations against Prajwal first gained public attention in April when multiple videos surfaced, appearing to show him engaging in non-consensual sexual acts. These videos suggested that the women involved were recorded without their consent and were under duress.
Prajwal left India shortly after the videos began circulating but returned on May 31, at which point he was arrested by the SIT and has since been held in judicial custody.
Prajwal, who contested the Lok Sabha election from Hassan, Karnataka, as the JD(S) incumbent, lost to Congress candidate Shreyas Patel. Following the public release of the videos, the JD(S) suspended Prajwal’s party membership.
His father, H.D. Revanna, was previously arrested on kidnapping charges in May and has since been released on bail.