Karnataka sex scandal: Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna remanded in 7-day police custody

Bengaluru, May 31
A court here on Friday remanded the suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna in police custody till June 6.
The 33-year-old MP, who is the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, was arrested on his return in the early hours of Friday from Munich in Germany. He was holed up there after videos became public in which women were seen being sexually abused allegedly by him.
The Special Investigation Team constituted to probe the charges of sexual assault against him will interrogate him.
The SIT produced him before the court after medical examination, which ordered seven days’ police custody of Prajwal.
The 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of Deve Gowda and the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment in Karnataka, 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.
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.
The JD(S) has suspended Prajwal Revanna from the party following the allegations.