Woman recounts horror by Prajwal Revanna: ‘Raped my mother, made me strip’

A woman has come forward with allegations against suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna, accusing them of sexual assault and harassment.

The woman, whose identity remains protected, alleged that Prajwal Revanna raped her mother four to five years back at his Bengaluru residence. According to sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT), she provided detailed testimony outlining the incidents.

The woman also alleged that between 2020 and 2021, she was manipulated by Prajwal Revanna into answering video calls, and forced to remove her clothes under threat of harm to her and her mother.

“He (Prajwal) used to call me and ask me to remove my clothes. He would call on my mother’s mobile and force me to answer the video calls. When I refused, he threatened to harm me and my mother. Our family supported us when they learned about the incidents and then we filed a complaint,” she said.

“My mother was raped and sexually harassed by Prajwal Revanna. She was sexually harassed by HD Revanna too,” the woman alleged.

“Prajwal used to threaten my mother that if she didn’t cooperate, he would snatch her husband’s job, make him unemployed, and even rape her daughter,” the woman said, adding that her father was sacked from his job after they filed a complaint in the matter.

She also said that the continuous harassment, occurring between 2020 and 2021, took a heavy toll on her family, forcing them to change their phone numbers.

The woman also alleged that the Hassan MP would sexually harass the female servants at his residence.

“Yes, it’s true that Revanna would sexually harass the female servants under the pretext of giving them fruits, while Prajwal raped my mother. As of now, only three people have come out and spoken about these incidents in public. Three more servants haven’t spoken about these atrocities. They were also sexually abused by them,” the woman claimed.

The woman also claimed that two years after the incident, they were forced to sell their land. “She (my mother) used to come home only once in four to five months. She was harassed so much that she would only call us late at night, at around 1 or 2 am. She hardly used to talk to us. They treated my mother like a slave and assaulted my father,” the woman alleged.

She also called Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna “habitual offenders” and sought justice for her mother and herself.

The 33-year-old JD(S) MP and his father are facing charges of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) has set up a helpline number for survivors to come forward and file complaints. So far, three FIRs have been registered in the matter, including two cases of rape and one of kidnapping.

HD Revanna has been sent to judicial custody till May 14 and his bail hearing will continue in the Public Representative court on Monday. A Blue Corner notice has been issued against Prajwal Revanna, who is said to have flown abroad on April 27, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held.