Prajwal Revanna sent to police custody in sexual abuse case

A special court in Bengaluru on Friday (May 31) remanded suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to police custody till June 6 in connection with the sexual abuse allegations against him.

Prajwal was arrested on Friday upon his return from Germany. The arrest comes a month after he fled the country following the circulation of explicit videos of his alleged actions in Karnataka's Hassan.

Sending out a clear message, early in the day, a team of women police personnel 'welcomed' Prajwal upon his arrival at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, as they were deputed to execute a warrant and take him to the CID office for interrogation.

SIT team at airport

After evading summons and staying out of the country for a little over a month, the 33-year-old grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda landed in Bengaluru past midnight from Germany's Munich, only to be arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) minutes later and whisked away for questioning.

He was later produced before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K N Shivakumar, who heard the remand application and objection argument from Prajwal's advocate. He later remanded Prajwal to police custody.

The NDA Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was arrested after completing the due process, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said.

What Home Minister said

Prajwal's advocate Arun G said his client was extending full cooperation to the SIT probe and cautioned against any media trial in the case.

"Prajwal Revanna landed around 12.40-12:50 am from Germany's Munich. As there was an arrest warrant against him, SIT accordingly arrested him and took him into custody," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "...naturally he should have cooperated with the arrest. His immigration papers were cleared and he was brought out (of the airport). As he had a diplomatic passport, things happened easily. After completing all the due process, he was arrested."

Asked if the government will appeal to more victims to come forward following his arrest, Parameshwara said, "We have already said, those who have faced trouble from him to come forward and give complaints to SIT and police, and we will provide them all kind of protection. We will have to wait and see further developments."

Soon after he alighted from the plane from Munich, he was received by women in Khaki, sources in the SIT said.

Arrest warrant

During the procedure of executing the arrest warrant, he was flanked by the women police personnel who were led by two IPS officers, Suman D Pennekar and Seema Latkar. He was then taken in a jeep in which only women police were present. They took him to the CID office.

"It was a conscious call to send women officers to arrest Prajwal, sending home a message that the JD(S) leader exploited his seat and power as an MP with women. The same women have authority to arrest him through all legal proceedings," a source in the SIT said.

Symbolic message

There was also a symbolic message to the alleged victims that women officers were not afraid of anyone, the source added.

The MP was later taken for medical examination under tight security. Escorted by female police officials, he was taken to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital here.

The SIT is also contemplating a potency test on Prajwal. A potency test is done to ascertain if a rape accused is capable of committing sexual assault on victims.

Meanwhile, Prajwal's advocate met him earlier.

"I went to speak to him. He has told to the media that he has come forward to cooperate with the investigation. So he has requested that there be no media trial. Let there be no negative campaign unnecessarily," Arun said.

'Fullest cooperation'

He told reporters the Hassan MP is before the SIT to give the "fullest cooperation".

"Prajwal said - I have come forward, the whole purpose of me coming to Bengaluru or before SIT is that I have to stand by my words. I have come forward. I will give the fullest cooperation - these are his words," he added.

Prajwal had on May 29 filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Principal City and Sessions Court for Elected Representatives, which issued a notice to the SIT to file objections before posting the hearing for Friday.

In the first case registered against him at the Holenarasipura town police station in Hassan on April 28, Prajwal is accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid. He is listed as accused number two, while his father and Holenarasipura MLA, H D Revanna, is the prime accused.

Prajwal has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault. There are also charges of rape against him.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show-cause notice to Prajwal, asking him why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him.

'Stern warning'

Deve Gowda had recently issued a 'stern warning' to Prajwal, asking him to return to the country and face probe into the sexual abuse allegations, while asserting there will be no interference from him or other family members into the inquiry.

The JD(S) supremo had reiterated that his grandson should be given the harshest punishment under the law "if found guilty".

Prajwal's uncle and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too had repeatedly appealed to his nephew to return to the country from abroad and face the probe.

JD(S) has suspended Prajwal from the party following the allegations.

(With agency inputs)