Revanna, Prajwal booked for sexual harassment; case transferred to SIT
It is the responsibility of the investigation team to bring him back if he has gone abroad and there is no question of forgiving any mistake: HDK
Janata Dal (S) leader and former Minister H.D. Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna, MP for Hassan, were booked for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation by the Holenarsipur Town Police on Sunday.
This FIR has now been referred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by B. K. Singh, Additional Director-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, formed to probe the alleged sex scandal of Mr. Prajwal Revanna. The SIT has been tasked with probing allegations of sexual abuse of many women by Mr. Prajwal Revanna, whose explicit videos have been doing the rounds.
Complaint by woman
The case was registered
based on a complaint by a woman, a relative of Bhavani Revanna, Mr. Revanna’s wife, and who worked in the household for threeand-a-half years from 2019, when she suered the alleged harassment.
The father-son duo has been booked under Sections of 354(A), 354(D), 509 for sexual harassment and section 506 for criminal intimidation, of the IPC. Signicantly, the FIR lists not only the complainant but others as well as victims in the case. The complainant alleged that Mr. Revanna, the accused, whenever his wife was not home, would touch the complainant inappropriately in the storeroom and harass her sexually.
Similarly, Mr. Prajwal Revanna, would misbehave with her when she was working in the kitchen. She claimed all the women househelp used to be scared of Mr. Prajwal, and male helpers also instructed the women working in the house to be careful with him.
The complainant also alleged that Mr. Prajwal would contact the complainant’s daughter via video calls and speak to her indecently and that her daughter had to block his number. Finally, upset over the conduct of the two accused, she left the job, she said.
Aday after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged sex scandal involving Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna, the regional party on Sunday welcomed the government’s decision. With the pressure now on the party to take action, senior leaders are expected to decide on the possibility of action against the MP, who is also the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda.
“If there is any wrongdoing, action should be taken. We welcome the investigation by the government. We are open to any kind of investigation,” JD(S) core committee chairman and senior party leader G.T. Deve Gowda told presspersons here on Sunday. When his reaction was sought on Congress workers accusing that there are attempts to close this case, he said, “The investigation agencies such as CID and SIT are with you. The government is with you and the laws are with you.”
Asked if the family or the party was not aware of the videos before the ticket was given, he claimed, “Neither the family nor the party knew about it.” Asked why Mr. Prajwal had sought court’s injunction last year against airing of videos pertaining to him, Mr. Gowda skirted around the question. Pertaining to demands for action against the MP by the party, Mr. Gowda said, “We respect women. There is a high command in the party. We will discuss the issue in the party forum and decide on the action.”
HDK reacts
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said, “There is no question of forgiving any mistake. Uppu thindavanu neeru kudiyabeku (whoever has consumed salt, will have to drink water),“he said. Commenting on rumours that Mr. Prajwal had left the country, the former Chief Minister said, “This issue is not connected to me. The SIT has been set up to investigate the matter. It is their responsibility to bring him back if he has gone abroad. I cannot answer those questions.”