JD(S) suspended MP Prajwal Revanna, who was arrested in the alleged sexual cases was brought to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Bengaluru for medical examination. After the conclusion of the medical exam, Mr.; Prajwal was taken to the City civil court where he was produced before the 42nd ACMM court judge.
The SIT is likely to request the court to hand over Mr. Prajwal to their custody. The Hassan MP was arrested by the SIT on May 30 night at Bengaluru Airport.
H.D. Revanna abduction case
The SIT has also filed an application in the High Court questioning H.D. Revanna’s bail in the kidnapping case of a woman from KR Nagar, Mysore. According to SIT, Mr. Revanna should continue to remain in custody until this investigation is over and therefore, the SIT has moved the High Court to cancel the bail.
The application will be heard in the High Court bench headed by Justice Krishna S Dixit. The hearing of the petition filed by Mr. Revanna to cancel this case will also be held on May 31 in the High Court.
Mr. Revanna was arrested earlier in connection with a kidnapping case on April 29. He was granted conditional bail by a special court for people’s representatives.
Mr.. Prajwal who was brought to the CID office in Bengaluru after he landed at Kempegowda International Airport is likely to face a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in his household.
Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was interrogated after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested him as soon as he landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in the wee hours of May 31.
The 33 year-old MP, who arrived from Munich, was taken to the CID office for interrogation, sources in the SIT said.
The SIT will produce him before the Special Court and is likely to seek police custody to further interrogate him.
Mr. Prajwal left the SIT office to the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Bengaluru for various medical tests including blood pressure, blood sugar level and cardiac health. Security was tightened at the hospital in view of his arrival.
The SIT is also contemplating a potency test on Prajwal.
The Special Court for Public Representatives will hear the bail plea of Mr. Prajwal and his mother Bhavani Revanna on May 31.
In the first reaction after the arrest, Karnataka Home MInister G. Parameshwar said that as Mr. Prajwal had promised, he has appeared and SIT has taken custody of him.
He said, “The SIT wanted to send a message that women have been wronged in this episode, and that empowered woman police officers to bring him to the SIT office.”
The Home Minister said, “There have been statements from Mr. Prajwal that there is a conspiracy against him. I request that this should not be politicised further.”
He further added that “SIT is capable of investigating the case in its entirety and let the investigators do the job. I am refraining from making any political statement and request everyone to not make a political event out of this.”
Mr. Prajwal faces three sexual abuse cases, while his mother has sought anticipatory bail in an alleged kidnapping case.
Though Ms. Bhavani is not an accused in the case, SIT has reportedly desired to investigate her role.
In the same case, Ms. Bhavani's husband and Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, who is former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's son, was arrested and later released on bail. He is also an accused of sexually harassing the cook of his house, who was also sexually abused by his son Prajwal.
The 33-year-old Mr. Prajwal, grandson of Deve Gowda and the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of sexually abusing many women. He has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault.
He had left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls. A 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on his whereabouts was issued by the Interpol earlier, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The MP, terming the cases against him as false and alleging political conspiracy, had said in a video statement issued earlier this week that he had gone into depression.
He had also filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Principal City and Sessions Court for Elected Representatives on May 29, which issued a notice to the SIT to file objections, before posting the hearing for Friday.
The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.
While the Congress government has formed a SIT to probe the cases, the BJP and JD(S) — NDA partners — have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action be taken against those behind the wide circulation of explicit videos.
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The cases of sexual abuse came to light after a number of pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos involving Prajwal were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26.
Mr. Deve Gowda had recently issued a 'stern warning' to Prajwal, asking him to return to the country and face probe into the sexual abuse allegations, while asserting there will be no interference from him or other family members into the enquiry.
The JD(S) supremo had reiterated that his grandson should be given the harshest punishment under the law "if found guilty".
Mr. Prajwal's uncle and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too had repeatedly appealed to his nephew to return to the country from abroad and face the probe.
JD(S) has suspended Prajwal Revanna from the party following the allegations.
Published - May 31, 2024 10:21 am IST
