Karnataka women's body seeks SIT probe into 'pen drive' sex scandal in Hassan

The Karnataka State Commission for Women has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanding a separate SIT (Special Investigation Team) investigation into the 'pen drive' scandal, which has roiled the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency.

Several pen drives containing clips and images of sexual acts purportedly involving a prominent politician of the area were being circulated online and on WhatsApp. It became a matter of a hot debate on social media since the clips and images showing women being exploited were purportedly linked to one of Hassan's Lok Sabha candidates.

The Commission has sent a letter to the CM after many women's organisations, including the 'Karnataka Rajya Mahila Dourjanya Virodi Okkoota,' complained to them. These organisations said that the women shown in these clips and photographs were victims of influential persons and by exposing their identities their dignity was being compromised. They urged the Commission to intervene and take action.

FIR registered

Meanwhile, Poornachandra Tejaswi MG, the election agent of the JD(S) and the BJP, has filed an FIR at CEN (Cybercrime, Economic offences, Narcotics) in Hassan district, complaining that some sleazy, morphed videos of the sitting MP of Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, are being widely circulated online.

Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and the son of HD Revanna, former minister for public works in Karnataka.

Revanna had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 1,41,324 votes. This time, his main rival in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is Congress candidate M Shreyas Patel.

Shocking case

Talking to The Federal, Dr Nagalakshmi Chowdhary, the chairperson of the Women's Commission, said,"This is a shocking case. The acts committed by individuals exploiting girls are shocking enough, spreading such footage and images on social media, and thereby threatening the dignity and social lives of these girls, is equally abhorrent."

Further, she added, "Upon receiving complaints about the incident, I have written to the state government, urging them to form a separate SIT to investigate the matter and to take measures to halt the circulation of these videos and images on social media."

"Based on the complaints filed by women's organisations, I have written to the state director general of police, Hassan district superintendent of police, chief minister, and home minister, urging urgent action. I demanded that the perpetrators and those who leaked the videos and images be investigated and punished under strict laws pertaining to crimes against women," she explained.

The SCW letter

The Karnataka State Commission for Women has lodged a complaint and highlighted instances of sexual violence depicted in the pen drives circulating within Hassan district. "These pen drives reportedly contain footage of influential politicians engaging in sexual exploitation and, in some cases, rape of women. Such material has now fallen into the hands of the general public, causing widespread disgrace. The commission has urged for a thorough police investigation into those accountable for these reprehensible acts, emphasising the destruction of lives and dignity," stated the commission's letter.

"Reports of these pen drives in Hassan district have surfaced on social media and various news outlets, alleging that numerous women were filmed under duress engaging in sexual acts. We advocate for the swift formation of a special investigation team to apprehend those responsible for defaming women. This includes identifying the individual who recorded the footage and the person who disseminated it publicly. We call for appropriate actions against those perpetrating such egregious crimes against women. Your immediate attention to this matter is requested," concluded the letter, signed by Dr Nagalakshmi, chairperson of the Women's Commission.

Background of the case

Early this week, pen drives containing these alleged sex acts involving a Lok Sabha candidate in Hassan constituency, were found overnight in various public places. In a matter of days, the images went viral on social media. Concerns have been raised in the public sphere that these scenes and images are being directly shared without concealing the identity of the women on some media and websites, thereby jeopardising their safety. These pen drives have caused significant commotion in the Hassan Lok Sabha election campaign.

This is when women's organisations raised a hue and cry over the pen drive incident.Meanwhile, Anupama Mahesh, the mother of Congress candidate Shreyas Patel, has called for an investigation into the case. She stated that the pen drive incident has led to accusations and counter-accusations among prominent candidates in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency.

Addressing the media in Hassan on Wednesday (April 24), she emphasised the need for a comprehensive investigation into the pen drive case, which has garnered widespread attention in the constituency.