Prajwal not the first; 6 other sex scandals that rocked Karnataka

The recent 'pen drive' scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna's alleged involvement in sexually explicit videos has again put the spotlight on the murky world of Karnataka politics.

Prajwal is not the first. Over the past two decades, Karnataka has been rocked by numerous sex scandals, ranging from viewing obscene videos in the Legislative Assembly to cases involving CDs and pen drives.

Many scandals

It's not just scandals; several politicians in Karnataka are facing individual cases of sexual abuse. Some cases have been legally resolved while others are still under investigation.

We recall seven cases of sex scandals involving politicians from the the Congress (1), Janata Dal-Secular (1) and Bharatiya Janata Party (5).

Renukacharya case: A minister in the JDS-BJP coalition government, MP Renukacharya, a close aide of BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa, was embroiled in a controversy in 2007, when photos of him kissing a nurse surfaced. The nurse accused Renukacharya of sexual assault and released photos to back her case. She alleged that he had forcibly married her, which led her to attempt suicide. The incident embarrassed the BJP. Later, he quit as a minister. Three years later, the case was withdrawn by the victim.

Haratalu Halappa rape case: In 2009, former food and civil affairs minister Harathalu Halappa was accused of raping his friend's wife, resulting in his resignation. This case too embarrassed the BJP government. However, in 2017, he was acquitted in the case due to lack of evidence.

Obscene video viewing: A scandal rocked the Legislative Assembly in 2012 when BJP members Laxman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar were caught watching explicit videos during a session when BS Yediyurappa was the chief minister. The incident sparked public outrage and led to an investigation by the home department. The three ministers quit their ministerial berths. Later, the cabinet sub-committee gave them a clean chit.

Meti sex scandal: Excise minister HY Meti's sex scandal also made a lot of noise in 2016 when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister. Meti was accused of physically abusing a woman after promising her a transfer. A video of the incident was made viral by a former security constable of Meti. Siddaramaiah asked him to quit his cabinet. The case was transferred to the CID. Later, the woman withdrew the case.

Aravinda Limbavali video: In July 2019, a video allegedly featuring Aravinda Limbavali, a BJP MLA from Bengaluru and a former minister in the earlier BSY government, went viral, showing him in an intimate position with another man. Limbavali denied the authenticity of the video, which was declared fake by a forensic science laboratory.

Ramesh Jarkiholi CD: in March 2020, allegations surfaced that Ramesh Jarkiholi, then a minister in the BJP government, was seen in a sexually explicit video. It was claimed that he had promised a job to a young woman in exchange for physical favours, leading to his resignation as a minister. Jarkiholi blamed Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar for his trouble. The case is still in court.

Prajwal Revanna: The latest scandal involves JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna, whose alleged involvement in explicit videos has caused mass outrage. A pen drive containing thousands of videos has emerged, prompting the state government to launch an investigation. Efforts are on to bring Prajwal Revanna back to India for questioning. His father HD Revanna's has been arrested. Nine people have been arrested.