‘Prajwal’s Arrogance Vanished in 5 Minutes’: SIT Chief Reveals Unique Methods Used to Nab Revanna
News18 spoke to the SIT chief, Additional Director General of Police (CID) BK Singh, who is heading the investigation into the Prajwal Revanna case.
One of the most striking moments in the Prajwal Revanna case, concerning the alleged sexual assault of multiple women in Karnataka, was the arrest of the accused by an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) at Bengaluru International Airport. Since then, from jail to court appearances, Revanna has consistently been accompanied by female officers.
The message was clear — the SIT investigating the case aimed not only to instil confidence among survivors to come forward, but also to strengthen the case against the former Hassan MP and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
The special court recently convicted Prajwal Revanna in the first rape case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. SIT Chief BK Singh shared details of the unique investigative methods used, Revanna’s behaviour in custody, and how this conviction may encourage more victims to approach the SIT.
Why an all-women team for the arrest?
“Yes. The idea was twofold — firstly, to send a societal message; secondly, to reach out to the victims. In sexual assault cases, it is often difficult for male officers to communicate effectively with survivors due to inhibitions on both sides. To overcome this, we decided that all rape cases would be investigated by women officers. For this high-profile case, female officers themselves volunteered to make the arrest. I gave them permission, saying, ‘If you are willing, go ahead,’” Singh explained.
Was it a difficult case to crack?
“I wouldn’t say it was hard to crack. The challenge was in gathering evidence. Everybody knew there was a survivor and an accused. The difficult part was linking the crime to the accused. Usually, there is biomedical evidence on the victim, accused, or the scene, but in this case, none was available,” he said.
Unique investigative methods
Singh added, “We had to be innovative. The accused’s face was not visible in the videos, so we used body marks to identify him. Birthmarks, burns, cuts, moles — these unique marks helped us match the accused’s body with the one visible in the videos. Photographs taken during medical examination were crucial to confirm the identity.”
Challenges with photographing the accused
“The accused refused, and doctors initially objected on ethical grounds. We approached the court with supporting studies and legal provisions under the Prisoners Identification Act, 2022. The court allowed it with conditions to maintain secrecy and privacy, which we adhered to,” Singh said.
Behaviour of the accused in custody
“All his arrogance was gone within five minutes of reaching the CID headquarters. Cooperation wasn’t essential — we had the evidence regardless. Self-incriminating statements in custody are not admissible, so whether he cooperated or not was irrelevant,” he added.
Tracking and arresting Revanna
“From day one, we knew where he had flown and stayed. Since he had a diplomatic passport as an MP, we initiated court proceedings to cancel it. By the time the notice was issued, he had lost the election and had no choice but to return. He returned before the passport was revoked, fully aware he could be detained abroad,” Singh explained.
Political interference?
“No interference whatsoever. The investigation was kept strictly internal. Each officer knew only about their part of the case, ensuring compartmentalisation and preventing leaks.”
Why victims remained silent
“Fear played a major role — fear of the accused, fear of family, societal pressure, and the political influence of his family. When people feel there is no chance of winning, they don’t fight; they surrender to the accused,” Singh concluded.
