Prajwal Revanna life sentence: Got justice but we live still in fear, says kin of victim
Bengaluru: While former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the sexual assault of a woman, the victim and her family continue to live in fear and trauma, still reeling from the emotional and psychological toll of the ordeal.
The victim’s son-in-law spoke out about the ongoing challenges, recalling how, despite the victim’s brave testimony and the eventual conviction, the family’s hope for justice had been overshadowed by the pressure from Revanna’s influential family. “After the traumatic cross-examinations, despite assurances from police, we didn’t have much hope that justice would be served due to the influence Prajwal Revanna’s family wields. We got justice, but the trauma and fear will continue to haunt us,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and son of H.D. Revanna, a former Karnataka minister, was sentenced to life imprisonment for one of four rape and sexual harassment cases filed against him in 2024.
The victim, a former domestic worker at a farmhouse owned by Prajwal’s family, had endured intense cross-examinations during the trial. According to her son-in-law, she broke down multiple times under questioning but remained resolute in her testimony. "She stood strong and gave her statement in court," he said.
The investigation team’s chief, BK Singh, also praised the victim’s courage, stating, “The survivor stood like a rock. The defence tried every possible way to derail the court proceedings, but she stood strong and even when she was cross-examined for eight hours.”
Due to a lack of support in her village, the victim, who is now living in Bengaluru, has been forced to rebuild her life far from home. An SIT official assisted her in finding work in the city. However, the family’s safety remains a major concern, with the son-in-law revealing that they still live in constant fear. “Even to this day we live in fear. After the judgment was announced, one SIT officer called me and said to not reveal my whereabouts with anyone. For over a year, we have followed what SIT police told us to do and we will continue to do so,” TIE quoted him as saying said.
The victim has not been able to return to her village, located in Mysuru district, for long. She visited once over the past year, but her stay was brief, and she continues to feel ostracized. “We felt outcast in the village. There were also a lot of rumours that were being spread,” he added.
Despite the hardships, the victim’s kin expressed gratitude for the SIT’s support, noting that without the SIT's protection, their lives could have taken a far more tragic course, especially given Prajwal Revanna’s influence in the regions of Hassan and Mysuru.
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Rupee rises 42 paise to close at 91.51 against US dollar
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee gained 42 paise to close at 91.51 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, a day after the Union Budget 2026-27 was presented, largely as crude oil prices retreated from their elevated levels.
Forex traders said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seemed to be defending the 92 per dollar level with a lot of resolve.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 91.95 against the US dollar, then gained some ground to touch an intraday high of 91.45 and a low of 91.95 against the greenback.
At the end of the trading session on Monday, the rupee was quoted at 91.51 (provisional) against the greenback, registering a gain of 42 paise from its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee hit a record low of 92.02 before ending 6 paise higher at 91.93 against the US dollar.
For the rupee, the Budget offered reassurance, not relief, and the government's high borrowing plan is likely to weigh on investor sentiments going ahead.
The government is likely to borrow Rs 17.2 lakh crore in the next financial year to fund its fiscal deficit projected at 4.3 per cent of the GDP.
"Overall, it looks like a prudent budget, focusing on continuity. Given the geopolitical uncertainties and challenges, it seems the government it seems has chosen to go a bit slow on fiscal consolidation," IFA Global said in a research note.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.09 per cent higher at 97.07.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 4.46 per cent lower at USD 66.23 per barrel in futures trade, as the US and Iran were talking about avoiding US strikes on Iranian soil.
The oil prices had touched USD 72 per barrel after traders expected a US strike on Iran during the weekend.
"As the Budget volatility subsides, the Indian rupee and domestic equities have emerged as regional outperformers. A combination of cooling commodity prices, enhanced fiscal control, large forex reserves and suspected corporate dollar selling has provided a tailwind for the local currency," Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.
In the near term, the USD-INR spot is likely to consolidate within a tight range, finding support at 91.10 and facing resistance near 91.85, Parmar added.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 943.52 points to settle at 81,666.46, while the Nifty surged 262.95 points to 25,088.40.
On Sunday, equity markets reacted negatively to the FY27 Budget as it proposed a higher securities transaction tax on derivatives and changes to buyback taxation, raising concerns over increased costs for investors.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 588.34 crore on Sunday, according to exchange data.
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