Chitradurga, Karnataka:

BJP leader and Advocate G Devaraje Gowda was arrested Friday night in connection with an explicit video allegedly belonging to Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

According to police, Devaraje Gowda was arrested at Gulihal toll gate by the Hiriyur Police in Chitradurga district for leaking the video in a pen drive.

He was arrested on a tip-off received by the Hassan Police, which wanted his presence for the case.

Several explicit videos involving Prajwal started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, which will take place on April 26.

The MP, a grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, is absconding and a ‘blue corner’ notice has been issued against him by the Interpol.

Three FIRs, including charges of rape, molestation, intimidation, blackmailing, and threatening, have been registered against Prajwal.

Devaraje Gowda is accused of leaking these videos, which he has categorically rejected.

He had contested the 2023 assembly election against JD(S) MLA from Holenarasipura HD Revanna.

HD Revanna, father of Prajwal, is at present in jail on charges of kidnapping a woman, a mother of three.

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

Mumbai:

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has asked the National Commission for Women (NCW) to share information with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) regarding the woman who is receiving threats for filing a complaint against prime accused Prajwal Revanna in a sex scandal.

“We don’t know who the person is. All questions will be answered by the SIT. If there are complaints or disturbances let the NCW talk to the SIT. The NCW can inform SIT, like how the State Commission for Women wrote to the government. The SIT authorities will initiate appropriate measures,” Mr Parameshwara told media persons.

When asked about when the SIT will track down Prajwal Revanna, the Karnataka Home Minister said, “We have appealed to the CBI to request the Interpol and other agencies to issue the Blue Corner notice. That is being done now. We have to wait regarding the information about Prajwal Revanna and in which country he is residing.”

He said that former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has been casting aspersions on the SIT probe from day one. The SIT is competent and it will come out with the truth, he added.

The NCW has directed the Karnataka Police to ensure the security of the complainant who is being threatened.

On Thursday, the NCW said that one of the woman complainants in the case had claimed that she was forced by a group of people to lodge a false complaint after being threatened with harassment.

“One woman complainant came to the Commission to register a complaint against three individuals dressed in civil uniform, allegedly introducing themselves as Karnataka Police officials and forcing her to give a false complaint,” the NCW said.

The complainant has sought protection for her family, underscoring the seriousness of the situation, the NCW said, adding that it has asked Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan to provide appropriate security to the woman.

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

Bengaluru:

Senior JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday engaged in a war of words over the alleged sex scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who is JD(S) second-in-command, accused DK Shivakumar of hatching the conspiracy of circulating the videos in public and then setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the matter.

“Bringing out truth of the main accused is just one part of it. How the pen drive was circulated, and the ‘great leader’ (Shivakumar) who circulated it, for what reason it was circulated, for how many months the ‘great leader’ was aware of it. These are the questions,” Mr Kumaraswamy told reporters in Hubballi.

He attended the core-committee meeting of the JD(S) held in Hubballi which recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna from the party.

Noting that his nephew will face the consequences if he has committed a mistake, the former chief minister said there was a need to discuss the ‘great leader’ (Shivakumar) who organised the protest against the JD(S) in Hubballi today.

Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and nephew of HD Kumaraswamy.

The Karnataka government has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of IPS officers led by Additional Director General of Police B K Singh to probe the alleged sexual harassment to many women by Prajwal Revanna, who is said to be in Germany at present.

Two days ago, an FIR was registered against Prajwal as well as his father Revanna at the Holenarasipura police station in Hassan district for sexually harassing their former cook.

Reacting to Mr Kumaraswamy’s allegation, Mr Shivakumar said the JD(S) first family has been remembering him for many years without which they do not get proper sleep.

“Kumaraswamy had said in the television interview that the BJP high command had cautioned him that he (Prajwal) is not good and think before giving him a ticket. He also said giving ticket to Prajwal was his father Deve Gowda’s decision,” claimed DK Shivakumar.

Terming the charges against Prajwal Revanna ‘serious’, the deputy chief minister said the matter here is women’s modesty.

“The information I got is that nearly 200 to 300 families, their honour, their relatives, their women and daughters, JD(S) party workers and those whom they gave jobs, contractors…. I have not seen them all (videos) but people are saying this,” Mr Shivakumar said.

The deputy chief minister also took a dig at the BJP leaders for not speaking about Prajwal Revanna case.

“This morning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave a statement asking people what the DCM is doing. He said there is no justice for women in Karnataka. You (Centre) sent a team of the National Commission for Women to Udupi when someone took photos (in a girls’ hostel), but why BJP leaders are not talking about it (Prajwal Revanna’s case)?” he asked.

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