The case of sexual harassment of a 47-year-old house help was registered against Revanna and his son Prajwal at the Holenarsipur town police station in Hassan district on 28 April.
JD(S) MLA and former Karnataka Minister HD Revanna (Facebook)
A Bengaluru court on Thursday, 16 May, granted interim bail to JD(S) MLA and former Karnataka Minister HD Revanna in a sexual harassment case.
The case of sexual harassment of a 47-year-old house help was registered against Revanna and his son and MP Prajwal Revanna at the Holenarasipura town police station in Hassan district on 28 April.
Meanwhile, Hassan MP and NDA candidate Prajwal, who reportedly left for Germany on 27 April, is still at large.
The complainant had claimed that the father-son duo had sexually abused her at the 66-year-old MLA’s house.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the alleged sexual abuse charges against Prajwal and related cases, had sought custody of the former minister.
The Congress government formed a SIT to probe the cases, while the BJP and JD(S) — NDA partners — have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action against those behind the circulation of explicit videos.
Revanna’s advocates sought anticipatory bail in the case. However, the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (ACMM) heard the matter and gave interim relief to Revanna till Friday.
Two cases — kidnapping and sexual abuse — have been registered against HD Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.
The SIT had sent two notices to Revanna and Prajwal to join the investigation, but both of them skipped it.
On Thursday Revanna applied for anticipatory bail and the SIT objected to this and sought his custody or that he be remanded in judicial custody.
The court, after hearing both sides, decided to hear the matter again on Friday and till then gave relief to Revanna.
A Special Court for Elected Representatives on Monday, 13 May, had granted bail to Revanna in a case where he is accused of having kidnapped one of the women allegedly sexually abused by Prajwal, as seen in the leaked videos.
Following this, he was released from the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara at Anekal town on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The JD(S) MLA and his accomplice Satish Babanna were booked by KR Nagara Police Station in Bengaluru on 2 May for kidnapping the woman.
The case was registered following a complaint by the woman’s son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna’s son Prajwal. The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources said.
The SIT arrested his accomplice Babanna on 3 May and subsequently rescued the woman allegedly from a farmhouse in Mysuru’s Hunsur taluk on 4 May, hours before the arrest of Revanna.
Revanna was arrested from the residence of his father HD Deve Gowda on the same day.
As per the conditions of the bail, the accused JD(S) MLA has been asked not to leave the country, and cooperate with the investigation. He is restricted from entering KR Nagar taluka in Mysuru and has been asked not to influence the witnesses.
He has also been asked to keep a bond of ₹5 lakh with two witnesses.
Meanwhile, Deve Gowda, whose grandson Prajwal Revanna is facing investigation under multiple sexual abuse charges, on Thursday said he will not be celebrating his birthday on 18 May.
The 91-year-old also appealed to party workers to strive for strengthening the organisation and victory of BJP-JD(S) candidates in the biennial election to six seats (three each from graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies) of the Karnataka Legislative Council on 3 June.
“On the 18th of this month I will be completing 91 years of age and entering 92, but due to some reasons I’m not celebrating my birthday. So I request you to wish me from wherever you are,” Gowda said in an appeal to fans, party workers and well-wishers.
“Everyone should honestly work for the victory of BJP-JD(S) candidates in the upcoming legislative council polls, and I request everyone to work with commitment to organise the party,” he said in a statement.
According to JD(S) sources, the veteran leader has decided to skip the celebration, due to the “difficult situation” the family is in, following the allegations against the 33-year-old MP and his father Revanna.
The 33-year-old Prajwal is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm, with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaging in a slugfest.
He was BJP-JD(S) alliance’s joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase on 26 April. He is said to have flown abroad on 27 April, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held.
An Interpol Blue Corner Notice issued against Prajwal in an effort to bring him back to the country to face the law has not yet had the desired effect.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with PTI inputs)
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