Three officers of the Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) that investigated sexual assault cases against former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna have received the Union Home Ministry’s Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak-2026 for excellence in investigation.
Inspector Shobha N, Assistant Sub-Inspector Rathnamma K and Civil Police Head Constable Balakrishna Y were among seven personnel from Karnataka selected for the medal. The other awardees are inspectors Rukumuddin Bavuddin Gadekar of Malamaruti police station in Belagavi, Manjunath of Devadurga police station in Raichur, and M Sreenivas Rao, along with Forensic Science Laboratory deputy director Dr Chandrashekhar.
The three SIT officers were part of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team headed by senior IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police BK Singh. Their investigation led to Prajwal’s conviction in a rape case involving a domestic worker at a farmhouse in Holenarasipura, Hassan district.
Prajwal, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and nephew of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, represented Hassan in the Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024. He was arrested in May 2024 in connection with four sexual assault cases and was later convicted of raping a 48-year-old woman and intimidating her. He was also convicted in connection with the circulation of videos of the sexual assault. In August 2025, a special court in Bengaluru sentenced him to life imprisonment, following which he was lodged at Parappana Agrahara prison.
In January 2026, the Karnataka government announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for the SIT personnel for their work. The announcement drew criticism from Deve Gowda and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
The Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak recognises outstanding work in investigation, special operations, intelligence and forensic science. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the 2026 awards on October 31, with 490 personnel from across the country selected.
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