Case details: A special court in Karnataka has sentenced former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajul Reona to life imprisonment in a rape case. The verdict was pronounced on August 2, 2025, by Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat, who was presiding over the special court for hearing cases of public representatives. The court imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Prajul Reona and ordered the victim to pay Rs 7 lakh as compensation. Prajul Reona was booked in four cases of exploitation last year, of which he was convicted in the first case on August 1, 2025. The case concerned the rape of a 48-year-old domestic worker in a farmhouse in Holinarsipur in Hassan district. The victim alleged that Prajul exploited her twice during the Covid lockdown in 2021—once at a farmhouse in Holinarsipur and the second time at HD Reona’s house in Bengaluru. Both the incidents were also videotaped, which were later presented in court as evidence. Court proceedings: The court has reserved its order on the case. The trial began on May 2, 2024, and completed the trial in just seven months, holding hearings on a day-to-day basis, which is unusual in high-profile cases. The prosecution presented a detailed charge sheet of 1632 pages, which included 183 documents, electronic and non-electronic evidence. The court recorded the statements of 26 witnesses, including the victim’s family. Key evidence included the victim’s saree, which she was wearing at the time of the incident and had preserved. DNA analysis confirmed the marks of Prajol on the saree. The forensic report also confirmed the presence of Prajol in the videos, in which the victim’s resistance and crying were evident. Prajol was convicted under sections 376(2)(k) (rape by abuse of power), 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 354(A) (assault with intent to remove clothing), 354(C) (peeping), 506 (attempt to destroy evidence), and Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Before pronouncing the sentence, the judge asked Prajol if he wanted to say anything, to which he pleaded for the minimum sentence. However, the judge Considering the gravity of the case, the sentence of life imprisonment was pronounced. After the verdict, Prajul broke down in the court, as mentioned in an ex-post: “Prajul Reona broke down as soon as he heard the verdict in the court. A flood of tears came from his eyes, but the scales of justice delivered their verdict.” Background to the sex scandal: Prajul Reona’s name hit the headlines in April 2024 last year when 2960 video clips of his alleged exploitation through thousands of pen drives in Hassan went viral. These videos not only compromised the identities of the victims but also sparked a wave of public outrage in Karnataka. Prajul, who was then contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Hassan as a Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP alliance candidate, fled to Germany using his diplomatic passport immediately after voting on April 26, 2024. His escape made the matter even more high-profile. His grandfather, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, publicly said that Prajul should come back and face the law. On May 31, 2024, Prajul returned from Germany to Bengaluru International Airport, where four women A team of police officers arrested them. This was the same team that rescued the victim from a farmhouse near Mysore, where she was allegedly held hostage at the behest of Prajul's father HD Reona and mother Bhavani Reona. HD Reona was arrested in the kidnapping case, but was later granted bail. HD Reona termed the allegations as a political conspiracy. Performance of Special Investigation Team (SIT): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Karnataka Police played a key role in the investigation of the case. Led by Inspector Shobha, the team collected 123 pieces of evidence and submitted a charge sheet of about 2000 pages in the court. The charge sheet stated that Prajul exploited the victim twice and recorded it on video. The complaint of the victim was filed on April 28, 2024, in which she mentioned her resistance and distress. The SIT collected statements of 26 witnesses, forensic reports, and inspection reports of the incident sites. A key witness was Prajul's former driver Karthik N (34), who allegedly leaked the videos. His The testimony strengthened the case. An X post quoted a lawyer as saying: “This case is an example of justice for the poor and voiceless. The victim did not raise her voice for years due to poverty, but today the court gave her justice.” Political and social impact: The case not only destroyed Prajul Reona’s personal reputation but also caused political damage to the Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP alliance. Prajul lost to Hassan by 40,000 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the Janata Dal immediately suspended him from the party. Karnataka minister M. C. Sudhakar said: “The court’s verdict should be respected. It has proven that Prajul committed this crime.” The verdict sends a strong message of zero tolerance against violence in India and accountability of high-ranking figures. An X user wrote: “Prajul Reona’s case shows that no one is above the law, even if he is the grandson of a former prime minister. Justice has triumphed. BBC Hindi: News 18 Hindi: Aaj Tak: Bhaskar: Prime TV India: