SIT files chargesheet against Prajwal Revanna, HD Revanna in rape case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Karnataka's Crime Investigation Department (CID) has filed a chargesheet against former Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MP Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna..The SIT, which is investigating four cases of sexual assault and harassment against Prajwal Revanna, filed the 2,144 page-long chargesheet, the first in the four cases, before the special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru on Friday.The SIT has booked Prajwal Revanna for rape of a woman who used to work as the domestic help for the family. HD Revanna has been booked for sexual harassment.As per the chargesheet, HD Revanna is the accused number one in the case and has been booked under Sections 354 and 354 (A) of the IPC. Prajwal Revanna is accused number two, and booked under Sections 376, 376 (2)(k), 354, 354 (a), 354 (b) among others of the IPC..It lists over 130 witnesses and also includes forensic evidence that confirms that the man in the video clip of the said sexual assault and rape is Prajwal Revanna..As per the chargesheet, HD Revanna sexually harassed the domestic help on multiple instances when she used worked at the family’s home between 2019 and 2022.Prajwal Revanna raped the victim in 2020, when his mother Bhavani Revanna had brought the victim to the city to clean the house, the chargesheet states..The sexual abuse allegations against Revanna emerged after over 2,900 videos depicting the sexual assault of several women were circulated online including on social media.On April 28, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult to modesty of woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Holenaraseepur town police station in Hassan district. The criminal case was registered on a complaint filed by one of the victims. An SIT led by senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer BK Singh is probing the case. .Amid the outrage and political storm that followed, Prajwal Revanna fled to Germany soon after the April 26 Lok Sabha polls in the State. He was arrested upon his return to India on May 31. He was handed over to SIT custody from May 31 to June 10. Later, in the second rape case, he was sent to SIT custody June 13 to 18. In the third rape case, the SIT was given custody till June 24..Prajwal Revanna is currently in judicial custody.While HD Revanna was granted bail in May this year by a special court in both the cases of kidnapping and sexual assualt, the Karnataka High Court had subsequently stayed the bail order.