Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has been remanded to six days in Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody by a Karnataka court until June 6, as part of an ongoing investigation into an obscene videos case. Revanna was brought to the CID office in Bengaluru after arriving at Kempegowda International Airport.
Revanna is expected to be questioned by the SIT regarding allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation made by a woman who worked in his household. He returned to India from Berlin, Germany, nearly a month after leaving the country on a diplomatic passport. Upon his arrival in Bengaluru, he was immediately detained by the Karnataka government’s SIT.
Revanna, 33, evaded summons by authorities and was out of the country for approximately a month. He is the grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and was the NDA’s Lok Sabha candidate from Haasan.
The SIT sent a strong message by deputing an all-woman police team to execute the warrant against him. Sources indicated that Revanna was received by women officers in uniform as he disembarked from his flight from Munich.
Prior to Revanna’s detention, the SIT apprehended two key suspects in connection with the case: Naveen Gowda and Chetan. The suspects were arrested while appearing before the High Court to seek anticipatory bail. Both are accused of distributing pen drives containing videos allegedly showing Revanna sexually assaulting women.
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.
Deve Gowda had recently issued a ‘stern warning’ to Prajwal Revanna, 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.