BJP leader Devaraje Gowda faces sexual assault case in Holenarsipur

BJP leader G. Devaraje Gowda, who is in the news in connection with the sexual abuse case allegedly involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman. The Holenarsipur police have registered a case against him based on the woman’s complaint on April 1.

The woman, in her complaint, said she and her husband came in contact with Mr. Devaraje Gowda, who is also an advocate, in connection with the sale of a site. Later, he would call her over the phone and had assured her that he would get the work done.

Once, he took her to his residence and sexually abused her, the complaint stated. Besides that, he would also make video calls to her. On February 4, he called her over the phone and insisted that she meet him. when she refused, he threatened her that he would circulate the videos and photos featuring them on social media, the complaint stated.

On March 29, an assistant at the BJP office in Holenarsipur called her to collect information about her address. Later in the day, two unknown people visited her house and snatched her phone. The complainant said she possessed video evidence to support her complaint.

The police registered a case under sections 354 (sexual assault), 448 (house trespass), 504 (intentional insult or provocation), and 506 (criminal intimidation), among others, of the IPC against Mr. Devaraje Gowda and Veena, an assistant at the BJP office in Holenarsipur.

The victim’s husband also filed a case against Mr. Devaraje Gowda accusing him of scolding him by mentioning his caste and criminal intimidation.

When The Hindu contacted Suresh Kumar, circle inspector of Holenarsipur, he said the investigation into the case was going on. “We had served summons to the accused. Both Devaraje Gowda and Veena responded to the summons and appeared for inquiry,” the officer said.

Complaint in Bengaluru

Before the complaints were filed against him, Mr. Devaraje Gowda had filed a honey-trap complaint in Bengaluru against three people from Holenarsipur. In his complaint, registered by the Hebbal police on March 28, he alleged that three people video-called him and recorded the conversation. Based on the recorded video, they demanded ₹2 crore from him and threatened that they would release it to the media if he did not pay.

Mr. Devaraje Gowda contested the Assembly election from Holenarsipur in 2023 on the BJP ticket. He often claimed that he possessed videos and photos that could expose Mr. Prajwal Revanna. As the objectionable content was circulated widely on messaging applications, he alleged that the content was released by Congress leaders for political mileage ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.