HD Revanna remanded to judicial custody till 14 May; Karnataka appoints additional prosecutors in case

After the completion of four days of police custody, the 66-year-old Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, was produced before an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.

The court remanded him to judicial custody for seven days till 14 May.

#Karnataka: @JanataDal_S leader #HDRevanna sent to judicial custody till 14th May

He was arrested on May 4 by SIT officials in a kidnapping case registered against him at KR Nagar police station in the city.

The court to pronounces its judgement on bail petition on Thursday.… https://t.co/OS9NfdyqgE

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 8, 2024

The state government on the same day also issued an order to strengthen the team of government prosecutors to conduct cases filed by the SIT formed to probe the alleged sexual assault cases involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

Senior advocates Ashok Naik and Jayna Kothari have been appointed as Additional Special Public Prosecutors, said a statement from Karnataka CMO.

Revanna was in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after being arrested in the alleged case of kidnapping a woman, based on a complaint by her son, who also charged that the MLA’s son and MP Prajwal Revanna had sexually assaulted her.

The woman was subsequently rescued, according to police.

Also Read: Prajwal’s uncle Kumaraswamy is behind circulation of alleged explicit videos,’ alleges DKS 

Sexual abuse row, political turmoil

The sexual abuse allegations involving Prajwal 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.

Alleged explicit videos involving Prajwal started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on 26 April.

The Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson Dr Nagalakshmi Chaudhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state police chief Alok Mohan seeking a probe into the videos that were in circulation in Hassan.

Following this, the Congress government formed the SIT on 28 April to investigate the case.

Prajwal, who contested as the NDA candidate in the polls from Hassan, reportedly left the country on 27 April, a day after the polls. He has skipped summons issued by the SIT to appear before it.

(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)