In a country where stories of sexual violence are too often met with silence, delay, or denial, the conviction of Prajwal Revanna feels like more than just a legal verdict. Over the years, we have watched with despair as those who enjoy power and clout have often used the system in their favour.

Given this, the case does offer a refreshing change. It does show that the system can still rise to its highest calling when put to use effectively. The case not only brought justice to a poor domestic worker but also acted against a man with immense political clout, thereby restoring a measure of faith in the delivery of justice.

Not only this, but court proceedings that are often mired in the phenomenon of "tareekh pe tareekh" produced a verdict in less than a year and a half!

Often, we have heard the saying, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Revanna's case was no different. Being the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and a former MP from the Janata Dal (Secular), power seemed like second nature to him. More often than not, people from the most vulnerable communities end up being the victims. Those who enjoy such power often enjoy using it against the powerless.

Behind the walls of privilege, a domestic worker was subjected to repeated sexual assaults at Revanna's farmhouse in Hassan and at his residence in Bengaluru. For years, she remained silent, restrained by fear and her own precarious social position.

It was only in April last year that she could speak up when a few videos of the heinous crime surfaced online. The videos were allegedly recorded by Revanna. The visuals led to massive outrage amongst the general public, which gave the victim the courage to file a complaint. Many thought that this would meet the same fate as many other cases in the past, where political power would outpace justice and the woman would have to wait for justice for years altogether.

However, this time, the system not only acted swiftly but also in favour of the victim. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), composed of women officers, ensured that digital and forensic evidence was carefully preserved. The DNA traces found on the survivor's clothing supported her case.

Revanna, who ran away and fled to Germany, was arrested on his return after an Interpol notice. By the time the trial started, the SIT had prepared a 1600-page chargesheet and examined more than 100 witnesses. In a system known for its delays, the outcome in this case was unexpected. The court pronounced its verdict within 14 months of the filing of the case.

The accused was convicted under multiple sections — rape by a person in control, repeated rape, intimidation, voyeurism, and destruction of evidence, besides the IT Act. Revanna was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation from his own assets. In the words of the court, "Be ye never so high, the law is above you."

This outcome is significant not only because a powerful man was punished but because it speaks volumes about the larger struggles Indian women face in the pursuit of justice.

Despite a year-on-year increase in the reporting of crimes against women, the conviction rates have remained a glaring concern. Official data suggests that it has hovered around 27 and 28 per cent for rape cases. In other words, fewer than three in ten accused have been convicted. It reflects the systemic challenges in the legal process, societal biases, and the obstacles survivors encounter at every step.

Our legal system has tried to address these gaps with the constitution of fast-track courts and other reforms. Statistically, 750 Fast Track Special Courts were operational by the end of October 2024, disposing of over 2,87,000 cases related to sexual offences. Yet, the road to justice remains topsy-turvy, especially in cases affecting women from the most marginalised sections of society.

It has been estimated that more than 83 per cent of women employed in domestic work earn less than ?5000 a month, with little legal protection and almost no social security. Their work takes them into private homes, often isolated, where power imbalances are stark, with no accountability. Their vulnerability increases manifold when gender, class, caste and poverty intersect. For a woman who is faced with these challenges, it is not easy to challenge someone well-connected politically.

There have been several cases where women from marginalised and vulnerable communities ran from pillar to post to get justice, but only in vain. Bhanwari Devi, a Dalit social worker in Rajasthan, who was gang-raped by upper-caste men for stopping a child marriage, has not found justice more than three decades after the incident. Her attackers were acquitted, making her life even more difficult. In fact, the court at that time had taken a highly baseless stand that men from upper caste families would not normally rape a woman from a lower caste.

The case certainly resulted in the formulation of the Vishaka Guidelines, the first judicial framework to address workplace sexual harassment, which later on resulted in a full-fledged law for the protection of women at the workplace. Still, Bhanwari Devi could not find justice for herself. Bhanwari's case is a reminder of how systemic injustice and bias can obstruct justice.

The Kathua case of 2018 was another such case. An eight-year-old girl from a nomadic Muslim community was abducted, raped repeatedly, and murdered. The involvement of local policemen and the communal polarisation that followed revealed how deep political and social interests can corrode the pursuit of truth. After immense public outcry, three perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment. The Kathua case exposed the toxic mix of gendered violence and communal politics, while showing how sustained pressure can yield accountability.

The Unnao case underlined the perils of confronting political power directly. An 18-year-old survivor accused a sitting MLA of rape. The events that followed were dreadful - her father's death in police custody, intimidation, attempts on her life, and suspicious deaths of those close to her. Her testimony eventually led to the conviction and sentencing of the MLA in 2022. Unnao stands as an emblem of both the dangers women face when they challenge the powerful and the resilience required to see justice through.

These cases, taken together with the Revanna verdict, reveal recurring patterns. They highlight the gaps that persist, be it the slow pace of trials, the weight of social stigma, the weaponisation of caste, class, and religion, and the impunity with which crime is committed by those who enjoy power.

And yet, each of these stories shows a ray of hope. Bhanwari Devi's fight laid the foundation for workplace protection for women. Kathua showed how public outrage can overcome the communal sabotage of justice. Unnao demonstrated that even political power is not absolute. The Revanna verdict builds on these lessons, demonstrating how forensic science, institutional resolve, and survivor courage can together overpower privilege, power and clout to deliver justice quickly.

But the fact that we celebrate such cases shows that they are exceptional. They have not yet become the norm. For the vast majority of women, particularly those from marginalised and vulnerable communities, justice remains a distant dream.

If the law is truly meant to be the "king of kings," as the court declared, then its reach must extend with equal force to every survivor. Fast-track courts must become accessible and efficient, forensic support must be universal, and survivors must be shielded from intimidation. Most importantly, society must stop silencing victims with stigma and disbelief and instead support them with solidarity.

The Revanna verdict does not erase the despair that countless women still carry. But it does remind us that justice is possible, that power is not invincible, and that the courage of one woman can shake even the most fortified citadels of influence. It is a story that began in silence and fear but ended with a message that will echo for years: no one, however powerful, stands above the law. Let justice prevail in every such case and not just in a few, where public outrage becomes instrumental in the delivery of justice.