Will return to Bengaluru on May 31, says Prajwal; SIT skeptical
In a video statement released on social media, the absconding MP Prajwal promised to appear before SIT and cooperate with investigation. He blamed some "forces' who were out to finish him politically
Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who fled the country after his alleged involvment in a major sex scandal came to light, has released a video from an unknown location claiming that he will return to Bengaluru on May 31 (Friday) morning.
In the video, he promised to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and answer in a "proper manner" by cooperating with the entire investigation. "I have faith in the court. I am sure that I will get rid of these false cases through the court. Blessings of God, family and people will be upon me," he said in the video released on social media.
Video may be fake
An SIT official asked to comment on the authenticity of the video told The Federal that it may very well be fake or AI-created or pre-recorded and their forensic team will verify its originality. "This video may not be his or feature his voice; it can be an attempt to mislead the public and party workers, but not the police," he pointed out.
"If the video is original, it will be good for us. But his return on May 31st is still doubtful. In the first part of the video, he says his foreign trip was pre-planned and he was unaware of the scandal. However, this is incorrect as he was aware of the developments days earlier, having registered a case against his driver Karthik," the official said.
Moreover, the official said that Prajwal is seen with vermilion on his forehead in the video, which raises doubts about its authenticity.
Prajwal's video statement
Meanwhile, in the video, Prajwal also claimed that he was "depressed" after the videos involving him appeared in public and he went into "isolation". He blamed some "forces" in Hassan for the scandal breaking out since they wanted to finish him politically.
This statement by Prajwal has been released exactly a month after he fled the country when a pen drives containing videos of him sexually assaulting women were leaked in public. As the sex scandal involving him erupted in Karnataka a day after voting was over in Hassan constituency, Revanna quietly left the country for Germany.
There was no independent confirmation from the JD(S) or the family of the suspended party MP immediately over the release of his recent video statement.
Time running out
Further, in the video, the young outgoing MP apologised to his father, mother and grandfather, Kumaranna (HD Kumaraswamy), the people of Karnataka and the JD(S) workers in the video. His uncle HD Kumaraswamy and even his grandfather, JD(S) patriarch and former PM Deve Gowda, have issued public statements urging him to come back and face the charges against him.
Prajwal, however, did not reveal where he was currently hiding and did not comment on the scandal in detail.
Notably, time seems to be running out for Revanna as his diplomatic passport expires on June 4. The 33-year-old Prajwal, who is the NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women.
Here is the full text of Prajwal's statement in the video
"Hello everyone. I apologize to my father, mother and grandfather. I apologize to Kumaranna, the people of Karnataka and the JDS workers. I have come to give correct information about my whereabouts abroad. No complaint was registered against me during the election on the night of April 26. The SIT was also not formed. The decision to go abroad on April 26 was already made (pre-planned). So I went abroad."
"Three or four days after leaving, I got this information while watching YouTube. The SIT also gave a notice. Then I asked for seven days through my lawyer on May 1st. The next day, Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi and all the senior leaders did start discussing this issue in open meetings. They all have conspired against me."
"After seeing all this, I became depressed and went into isolation. So I apologise to all of you. Please forgive me. Some forces have come together in Hassan and made a political conspiracy against me. They were all involved to finish me when I was growing politically. Seeing all this, I was shocked, so I decided to stay away. So no one should be mistaken about this."
"I myself will appear before the SIT on Friday 31st at 10 am and I have decided to answer in a proper manner by cooperating with the entire investigation. I have faith in the court. I am sure that I will get rid of these false cases through the court. Blessings of God, family and people will be upon me."
Blue Corner Notice
Currently, there is a 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on his whereabouts issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal Revanna, following an application moved by the SIT.
