Bengaluru, Karnataka:

After Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, accused in the alleged obscene case, alleged conspiracy against him, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Monday that he was free to say anything but is bound to face the law.

“Prajwal Revanna may say whatever he wants, but eventually he will have to face the law once he lands,” DK Shivakumar told reporters at the KPCC office in Bengaluru on Monday.

On asked about Prajwal Revanna’s allegation that the alleged case against him was a conspiracy of the Congress party, DK Shivakumar said, “I don’t have much information on Prajwal Revanna’s video, but I came across it through the media. No matter what he says, he doesn’t have a choice but to present himself before the SIT for investigation. The law will take its course in this case.”

“Rahul Gandhi has spoken about Prajwal based on media reports, there is nothing wrong with it. Time will answer Prajwal’s allegation on Rahul Gandhi,” he added.

Prajwal Revanna, earlier in the day, released a self-made video in which he alleged political conspiracy behind the case and said that he will appear before the SIT on May 31.

The Hassan MP also claimed that he “went into depression” and “isolated” himself as he accused Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders of sparking a discussion on the issue as part of an alleged conspiracy.

Prajwal Revanna is facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in his household.

Prajwal Revanna’s video comes days after his grandfather and JDS patron HD Deve Gowda, issued a stern warning to return to India from abroad and face the law in the obscene video case.

“I have already said that he should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty. I also cannot convince people that I was unaware of Prajwal’s activities. I cannot convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God, and I know the almighty knows the truth,” the former PM said in a post on X on May 23.

“I will ensure that there will be no interference in the enquiry against him from me or my family members,” the former PM added.

According to the sources, the Ministry of External Affairs of India has received a letter from the Karnataka government for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. The request is being processed.

Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1 and May 23 urging him to take action to cancel the diplomatic passport of the Hassan MP, who is said to have flown to Europe after being accused of sexually exploiting several women.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah said that it is shameful that Prajwal Revanna fled the country on April 27, 2024, to Germany using his diplomatic passport, shortly after news of his heinous actions emerged and just a few hours before the first FIR was filed against him.

Speaking on the Karnataka government’s request for cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) received a request only on May 21 to impound Prajwal Revanna’s passport.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, S Jaishankar clarified the procedural aspects, saying, “To impound a passport is governed by an act called the Passport Act. We need a judicial court or a police request to do so. The MEA got this request from Karnataka only on May 21.”

Highlighting the adherence to legal procedures, S Jaishankar emphasised that the external affairs minister acted promptly upon receiving the request. “We immediately acted on it. On 23rd of May… we have to follow a certain procedure and the procedure is initiated,” he added.

However, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that they did not get any written communication from the MEA in this matter.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Ministry of External Affairs has received a letter from the Karnataka government for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport of suspended Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, official sources said on Thursday.

The Karnataka government’s request to the Centre came after Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women, fled the country using his diplomatic passport last month. 

“The MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government for cancellation of diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. This is being processed,” official sources said.

ALSO READ | How Prajwal Revanna, Accused Of Sex Harassment, Left India Without A Visa

Prajwal Revanna, who is former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s grandson, is at the centre of a political storm after hundreds of explicit videos allegedly featuring him leaked late last month. The 33-year-old MP faces multiple cases of rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism and criminal intimidation.

Revanna, who is the NDA nominee for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, reportedly fled to Germany on April 27, hours before the first case was filed against him.

Karnataka police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now probing the high-profile case and a lookout notice and a Blue Corner notice have been issued to track Revanna down.

In the wake of the allegations, Prajwal Revanna had said in a social media post on May 1, “As I am not in Bangalore to attend the enquiry, I have communicated to C.I.D Bangalore through my Advocate. The truth will prevail soon.”

ALSO READ | “Prajwal Revanna Abused Diplomatic Privileges To Flee”: Siddaramaiah To PM Modi

His father and Mr Deve Gowda’s son HD Revanna, a JDS MLA, is also accused in cases of molestation and kidnapping. He was arrested earlier this month and is now out on bail. 

The veteran leader faces a case, in which a man has alleged that he was involved in kidnapping his mother, who worked as a house help at his home for six years. The complainant has alleged that a video showing Prajwal Revanna sexually abusing his mother leaked recently and his mother went missing soon after. 

HD Revanna, however, has termed the case a “political conspiracy”.

New Delhi:

Given the public outcry and mass mobilisation that we have seen over, at least, some high profile cases of sexual assault on women, it needs to be asked if the reaction to the Prajwal Revanna sexual crimes, including rape, case has been muted, socially and politically.

Is it being seen more in the realm of a political exchange and less as what it should be – a case of multiple rapes and sexual assaults. Yes, no one is guilty till proven so in a court of law and politics is filled with wild allegations, but here there are videos and statements by victims against the JDS Hassan member of parliament and, in a bulldozer justice era, the least that needs to be ensured is he is questioned by authorities and faces due process.

A group of over 100 intellectuals in Karnataka wrote a petition to the Chief Minister seeking his immediate arrest. The authors listed a few demands – from providing a safe environment for the witnesses, seeking immediate arrest of the driver of Prajwal (who is believed to have approached some political leaders with the pen drive containing the horrific and sleazy Prajwal videos ), demanding cases to be booked against family member as accomplices and requesting interrogation of politicians, intelligence and police officials who may have colluded to help Prajwal leave the country before a case was registered on the 28th of April.

There are serious moral questions to the JDS on why it hasn’t forced Prajwal back or even take political action to force him back. It seems more interested in attacking the Congress for leaking the videos, who leaked the videos by itself is an important matter of investigations but the first focus is the getting their MP before the law. There are questions over the BJP trying to distance itself from the case and not aggressively forcing it’s ally the JDS to act on the case. Also, if the centre should be more aggressive in this case.  

There are also questions to the Congress which rules the State and investigators if they are treating this case as severely as they should. Or is the Congress looking at this with a post poll political calculus in mind.

This really needs rise above a Congress Vs JDS-BJP exchange or a Centre versus State issue. There are crucial questions over whether the investigators, prosecutors and courts have been aggressive enough in this case.

For instance, twenty days on we are still only at a blue-collar notice. There are questions over whether his passport ought to have been cancelled by now or if the prosecutors should have at least moved the court for an order to impound or cancel his passport or other stern actions to force him back. This is not just about procedural, legal action but also the optics and public pressure in the case. 

Given that Prajwal is not in India, the CBI becomes the nodal agency in sending requests to the interpol to have notices issued. From a pedestrian point of view, a blue corner notice is to say that there is a look out for a person, but a red corner notice is declaring him or her a proclaimed offender, technically making him a criminal wherever he or she is. There is no clarity on what steps have been taken to move towards such a notice.

When there are serious charges like rape involved, with punishment of over 7 years, there is no arrest warrant required. The accused could face direct arrest anywhere in India. Investigators say the process of collection of evidence is still in progress to build the case for a red corner notice. But there are multiple statements from victims that have been recorded before the magistrate under section 164 of the CRPC. In rape and sexual assault cases, even an uncorroborated statement by a victim has significant evidentiary value and in this case there is also alleged videographic evidence.

Certainly, all sides are beginning to seem like they lack the will to force Prajwal back to even merely face investigations.

Prajwal’s father H D Revanna was arrested in a case of abduction and spent six days in jail before being released on bail on Tuesday. He faces another case of molestation as well, where he has been granted interim bail and final order is expected on 24th. There are concerns as we move further away in time that the focus on the case, and hence the case itself, would only get weaker.

Meanwhile, the JDS has demanded a CBI probe into the case. Prajwal clearly seems to be biding time till the election results are out. While it shouldn’t matter who wins or loses, the fear is it will.

It is a dangerous precedent if a sitting MP is being allowed to dodge investigators in a case of rape and irrespective of the political mud-slinging, a clear, transparent and aggressive investigation is the least that needs to be ensured.

He doesn’t have to be vilified or portrayed as guilty till the due process is followed, but ensuring the due process is followed is a responsibility of the State, the Centre, the Congress, BJP, JDS, media and civil society.  

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Wednesday turned down former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s demand for a CBI probe into the sexual harassment case against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

He said the state government’s CID is competent enough to investigate the case.

“Kumaraswamy had raised over 100 questions. I cannot answer all of them. He had asked for the CBI probe, which we will not do. The SIT is competent. I have said that we will get a proper investigation done,” the Home Minister said.

According to Mr Parameshwara, three people have been arrested so far in a case related to the kidnapping of a woman, who is a mother of three, in which Holenarasipura JD(S) MLA and Prajwal’s father H D Revanna is also an accused and presently in the jail serving the judicial custody.

Prajwal Revanna is the son of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda. His son Prajwal, who is under investigation for multiple cases of sexual harassment of women, has reportedly fled the country and is absconding.

Regarding the progress in the investigation, the home minister said three people have been arrested, including Revanna and his aide Sathish Babanna.

He declined to share the details of the third person saying that disclosing the name would affect the investigation.

To a question whether there will be any investigation against those who leaked the videos, Parameshwara said, “We do not wish to hide anything. The probe will also cover the circulation of the pen drive.” “Kumaraswamy has alleged that policemen have distributed it. Which police distributed it and where are the aspects we have to look into? The SIT will decide whether to issue any notice to Kumaraswamy on his charges,” Mr Parameshwara explained.

He said the government trusts the SIT and will wait for its report to be submitted.

On Kumaraswamy’s demand to investigate Rahul Gandhi for his statement that 400 women were raped, Parameshwara said that it would be the decision of the SIT.

On not arresting Karthik Gowda, driver of Prajwal Revanna, who is believed to have had the pen drive containing explicit videos allegedly involving the MP and several women, Mr Parameshwara said there should be clear evidence to arrest someone.

“Until we receive evidence, we cannot arrest Karthik or Devaraje Gowda (BJP leader),” the minister said.

On giving protection to Karthik or Devaraje Gowda, Mr Parameshwara said that protection would be extended only to the women who were victims and nobody else. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)