In April final 12 months, a collection of developments that rocked Karnataka politics started with an investigation right into a pen drive allegedly containing sexually express movies of then-sitting Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, which quickly led to a few rape circumstances being filed in opposition to him.
Over the subsequent few months, after surmounting a number of challenges, a 28-member Particular Investigation Workforce (SIT)—aided by scientific proof and the survivor’s grit—ensured that one of many circumstances resulted in Prajwal’s conviction.
Visuals from a pen drive spark a row
April 2024. Like many different states within the nation, Karnataka was gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections. Prajwal, the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of former minister H D Revanna, was eyeing a win in Hassan—this time, as a Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.
On the time, rumours had been rife in elements of Hassan district of an alleged intercourse scandal involving Prajwal. However there was no clear proof. Prajwal had additionally obtained an injunction from the court docket, prohibiting the media from telecasting any defamatory information or video relating to this matter, claiming that the proof was cast.
Nonetheless, lower than 4 days earlier than the Lok Sabha elections within the state on April 26, pen drives containing a number of sexually express movies and images allegedly involving Prajwal and a number of other girls began circulating in Hassan district. On April 26, whereas voting for the Hassan seat was underway, the movies started circulating throughout the state, prompting the federal government and the police to intervene.
Whereas Prajwal contested the elections, he fled the nation quickly after, utilizing his diplomatic passport. At this level, no formal complaints had been filed in opposition to him.
By April 30, nonetheless, because the controversy over the pen drive gathered steam, the JD(S) expelled Prajwal from the occasion. He would later lose the election too.
SIT shaped, cops put trip plans on maintain
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As movies from the pen drive went viral, the controversy drew nationwide consideration. It was then {that a} girl who used to work as a home assist for the Revannas approached the jurisdictional police, saying that she was allegedly sexually harassed and threatened by Prajwal and his father.
As public stress mounted, the state authorities shaped a Particular Investigation Workforce (SIT) headed by Bijay Kumar Singh and together with IPS officers Suman D Pennekar and Seema Latkar, on April 27, only a day after the elections in Hassan. The opposite members of the crew had been handpicked, and a 28-member SIT, together with 14 girls, was shaped.
“Nobody from Hassan district or working in Hassan district was a part of the crew…to forestall any type of affect. We had been fearful concerning the households of the law enforcement officials, additionally,” one of many SIT members stated.
The police visited each areas the place the girl was allegedly raped. (Specific Picture)
With colleges shutting down for summer season trip, households had their journey plans lined up. IPS officer Pennekar was no completely different. “I used to be planning to take my daughter on a tour when the order was issued. I instantly dropped the plan and reported to the SIT,” she stated.
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A 2010-batch Police Inspector, Shobha N, was appointed because the investigating officer (IO) within the case. Shobha was additionally planning to take a break in the course of the summer season. “There was some competition and I used to be on bandobast responsibility once I obtained a name from the SIT chief to report back to the CID workplace to analyze the case. I by no means thought that I might be a part of a crew investigating one of the vital high-profile circumstances of the nation,” she recalled.
A girl who thought she had dedicated a criminal offense
By then, one other home employee employed by the Revannas went lacking. She was within the movies doing the rounds. On April 29, her son-in-law approached the jurisdictional police and filed a kidnap case, alleging H D Revanna and his spouse, Bhavani, had kidnapped her after the grievance was filed.
“The preliminary data was that she had carried out some pretend voting in Holenarasipura. The Revannas stated the police had been trying to arrest her and directed her to maneuver to a farmhouse,” the son-in-law advised The Indian Specific.
The lady, believing that she was accused of a criminal offense, went to the farmhouse.
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On the time, the household was unaware she was featured within the movies. “I used to be in contact with my mother-in-law. As quickly as I noticed the video, I used to be shocked. I known as her and requested her about her whereabouts, however didn’t reveal something associated to the movies. She gave me the handle after which I knowledgeable the police,” he stated.
When the SIT discovered concerning the data, they reached the farmhouse. By then, the girl had escaped to a relative’s home in Hunsur. Nonetheless, utilizing technical proof, the SIT and native police tracked her and rescued her. “She didn’t know that she was misguided and was being managed by others,” her son-in-law stated.
On Could 4, the SIT crew introduced her to Bengaluru.
‘What is going to my household assume?’
A mom of two youngsters, the girl had celebrated her granddaughter’s beginning 4 months earlier than the alleged incident. She had by no means gone to highschool and was married to a person who was an alcoholic, the police stated.
She had labored for the Revannas for eight years.
After she was dropped at Bengaluru, a particular crew of counsellors from the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) and the Bengaluru metropolis police counselling crew, Parihar, interacted together with her.
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“It was then that she obtained to know that her movies had been being circulated. She was shattered. She didn’t know what to do or learn how to return to her residence. Given her background, we didn’t communicate concerning the movies, however instilled religion and confidence in her,” a police officer, who was a part of the probe, revealed.
When the SIT discovered concerning the data, they reached the farmhouse. (Specific Picture)
The lady had a number of considerations, the officer stated. “Would she be capable to return to her village? What would her husband and relations assume? What would the villagers say about her? How would she earn her dwelling? What if the Revannas did one thing to her or her relations?” the officer added.
Vinutha S, who was with the Metropolis Crime Data Bureau (CCRB) in Bengaluru on the time, was one of many first law enforcement officials to work together with the girl. “It was actually robust for me, being a lady. Each time I used to be telling her that we’d stand by her and get her justice, two issues had been operating by way of my thoughts: Would we be capable to present her justice, given the accused’s background? Additionally, what if she turned hostile?” she stated.
Pennekar recollects that it was initially portrayed as a political case. “However after we obtained proof, we discovered it to be real. However we had been additionally coping with a criminal offense that had taken place three or 4 years in the past. There have been numerous apprehensions,” she stated.
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Over the subsequent couple of days, the girl gained confidence, the police stated.
“Being the investigating officer, it was robust, however the intention was to gather proof and produce her justice. The lady stated the alleged incident had taken place twice between 2021 and 2022, as soon as in a farmhouse and as soon as at a residence. Contemplating Prajwal’s political clout, she stated she had by no means spoken about it,” Shobha stated.
The police visited each areas the place the girl was allegedly raped. Whereas one construction the place the alleged rape occurred was demolished, the police seized many supplies, together with a mattress, from the opposite location.
A fortunate break: a saree serves as proof
Because the probe continued, Shobha recollects that the movies had been performed earlier than the girl. “We requested concerning the garments that she was sporting. At one level, she stated that one of many sarees that she was sporting was saved on the farmhouse earlier than she give up her job,” Shobha stated.
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“We obtained a second search warrant and went looking for the saree,” SIT chief Singh stated, including that it was sheer luck that the police may seize the saree and shirt.
The crew made Prajwal sit within the center seat of the automobile and took him to the CID workplace, the place the SIT was working. (Specific Picture)
“Earlier than she give up, she had packed the saree and the shirt and positioned them in one other constructing, which lay unnoticed. Thankfully, it was not uncovered to humidity. Nobody anticipated that it might turn into essential proof within the case,” Shobha stated.
When the items of clothes had been despatched to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), traces of residual physique fluids had been discovered on the saree, the police stated. A match was discovered between the DNA samples collected from the ex-MP and traces discovered on the garment.
All-women crew takes custody of Prajwal
In the meantime, two extra First Data Experiences (FIRs) had been filed in opposition to Prajwal, however he remained elusive. Interpol additionally issued a Blue Nook Discover in opposition to him. On Could 28, 2024, Prajwal launched a video, saying he would return to India quickly.
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On the midnight of Could 31, 2024, Prajwal returned to Bengaluru from Germany. An all-women crew was despatched to arrest him. “It was a aware choice,” Pennekar stated.
The crew made Prajwal sit within the center seat of the automobile and took him to the CID workplace, the place the SIT was working. Even later, at any time when he was taken to court docket or a hospital for his medical checkup, the ladies officers accompanied him.
When court docket rulings from Turkey and Japan helped
A significant hurdle for the police was proving that Prajwal was the perpetrator of the rape. Within the movies, a person’s genitals and thighs had been uncovered earlier than the digital camera, not his face. “Within the movies, solely the sufferer’s face was seen. The problem was to show that Prajwal was the one who dedicated the crime. Taking recommendations from B Ok Singh, we went by way of the court docket orders of different international locations. There have been two court docket rulings, one in Japan and one other in Turkey, the place identification was established by evaluating the physique elements within the video by way of a medical examination,” Pennekar stated.
“Within the medical examination, the images of the accused’s physique elements (uncovered within the movies) had been captured and despatched to FSL. The experiences indicated that it was of Prajwal Revanna,” Pennekar stated.
One other problem was proving that the movies had been real and had been recorded by Prajwal himself.
The SIT then despatched the viral movies to FSL. As soon as they obtained the report that the movies had been real, they despatched the voice samples of Prajwal and the girl, the pictures of the locations the place the alleged assault had taken place and images of his physique. The FSL report acknowledged that the voice samples and pictures matched these within the movies.
In August 2024, the SIT filed chargesheets in opposition to Prajwal.
The trial and conviction
Earlier this 12 months, Prajwal utilized for bail within the excessive court docket and the Supreme Court docket, however his pleas had been rejected. The household additionally sought a print copy of all of the digital proof within the rape case, however this too was denied.
In Could, the trial within the case started in a particular court docket for MPs and MLAs. “The cross-examination went on for a number of hours, for the sufferer, and me as properly. Many instances, she broke down in the course of the listening to, however that didn’t shake her resolve,” Shobha stated.
Singh, too, hailed her resolve. “She stood like a rock. The defence tried each potential approach to derail the court docket proceedings, however she stood sturdy—even when she was cross-examined for eight hours.”
On July 18, the trial concluded, and on August 2, the court docket sentenced Prajwal to life imprisonment. He was convicted beneath numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code, on a number of prices, together with being able of management or dominance over a lady, commits rape on such girl, commits rape repeatedly on the identical girl, sexual harassment, and many others. He was additionally convicted beneath Part 66(e) (deliberately or knowingly captures, publishes or transmits the picture of a personal space of any individual with out his or her consent) of the Data Know-how Act, 2000.
“We relied closely on scientific proof. Witness statements could change, however science speaks details,” Singh advised the media.
The SIT members say it was a coordinated effort that ensured the girl obtained justice. “There have been a number of girls NGOs that helped. The counsellors, the girl who stood sturdy, the general public prosecutor, businesses together with FSL and docs who performed medical examination, all helped take the case to its logical finish,” says Pennekar.
Further Metropolis Civil and Classes Decide Santhosh Gajanan Bhat started his judgment with the Sanskrit phrases that translate to “wherever girls are worshipped, there divinity resides”.
“In my humble opinion, committing of sexual offences in opposition to maid and different girls within the society by exhibiting disdain in direction of them as a result of their financial situation is a grave offence which can’t be brushed apart evenly and such type of a conduct can’t be accepted as a standard one. It’s to be saved in thoughts of the apt quote of Lord Denning whereby it’s acknowledged as ‘Be ye by no means so excessive, the regulation is above you’,” he stated within the order.
Quoting from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, choose Bhat stated, “The regulation (Dharma) is the king of kings. Nobody is superior to the regulation (Dharma); the regulation (Dharma) aided by the ability of the king permits the weak to prevail over the sturdy. Additional Rape of any variety and on anyone is an anathema in a civilized society which might completely deprive the sufferer of her regular life.”
The Indian Specific has learnt that the survivor has obtained a brand new lease of life in Bengaluru. “She has discovered a job and is attempting to maneuver forward. She is incomes her livelihood, and we hope she is going to come out of the trauma sometime,” her son-in-law advised Specific.