Prajwal's 'sex scandal': Lookout notice issued against Deve Gowda's grandson
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government has issued a lookout circular against the suspended Janata Dal (Secular) MP and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Prajwal Revanna. Prajwal—the "absconding" MP from Hassan, Karnataka—has been accused of sexual abuse by multiple women. According to reports, Prajwal is believed to be in Germany and is likely to face detention upon reaching any immigration point in India, whether it be airports, seaports, or border checkposts.
Prajwal's departure from India amidst allegations
Prajwal reportedly left India on April 27, a day before the SIT was set up under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe into sexual harassment allegations against Prajwal. The MP might have "fled" for Germany to evade arrest and is using his Diplomatic Pass for overseas travel, reports said. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Prajwal publicly addressed the "scandal" surrounding videos of him assaulting multiple women for the first time. In a post on X, he declared, "Truth will prevail soon."
Prajwal sought 7 days to appear before SIT
He also stated that he had asked his legal counsel to communicate with the CID and sought seven days to appear before the SIT, as he is not in Bengaluru. The SIT had issued a notice to him and his father—HD Revanna—to appear for questioning within 24 hours. Notably, the Karnataka government formed the SIT on Sunday to investigate the alleged sex scandal following a letter from Dr. Nagalakshmi Chowdhary, chairperson of the women's commission to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Case against Prajwal, Revanna
To recall, Prajwal and his father Revanna are facing allegations of sexual harassment and stalking. The charges were filed at the Holenarasipur police station, Karnataka by their cook. The complainant alleges that she was sexually harassed by Revanna four months into her employment. She also accuses Prajwal of making inappropriate video calls to her daughter.
Row over Prajwal's 'obscene' videos
This case comes amid a separate row over purported videos of Prajwal which show him involved in non-consensual sexual acts with women. These 2,976 videos, believed to have been filmed in either Hassan or Holenarasipura in the southern state, have been widely circulated on social media. They came to light on April 25, just one day prior to polling in the Hassan constituency—from where Prajwal is seeking re-election as a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
