Bengaluru, May 2: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sex video scandal involving former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna on Thursday rejected his request to appear before it after 7 days and the authorities issued a lookout notice against him. This happened on a day another victim came forward and filed a complaint.
Prajwal Revanna’s obscene video showing sexual harassment and abuse of women has taken the political circles in Karnataka by storm.
Sources confirmed that Prajwal Revanna will be taken into custody as soon as he lands in India.
Karnataka Home Minister, Dr G Parameshwara stated on Thursday that a ‘Lookout Notice’ has been sent to all airports of the country.
The sitting MP and NDA candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat had sought seven days, but as per law it is not possible to grant him time for appearance before the authorities.
In spite of this, the officers are taking the opinion of legal experts over the matter.
In case there is no scope for giving him time, the SIT officers will go wherever Prajwal Revanna is, arrest him and bring him back to India.
Home Minister Parameshwara maintained that another victim had come forward and lodged a complaint against Prajwal Revanna in Hassan.
“The details cannot be made public,” he stated.
Meanwhile, JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna, brother of Prajwal Revanna speaking on Thursday maintained that his brother will win the Hassan seat despite the leak of the obscene videos.
“I will not speak about Prajwal. The SIT formed by the government is probing the case. I can only comment that it is a conspiracy. JD(S) MLA HD Revanna (his father) is a popular leader in the region. People who don’t tolerate this are behind this. The people will know the truth once the probe is completed,” he added.
Meanwhile, various organisations and Kannada activists staged a protest in Mandya against Prajwal Revanna for his alleged involvement in sexual abuse of women. (IANS)
Revanna travelled to Germany on diplomatic passport, no political clearance was sought: MEA
New Delhi, May 2: Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and he did not seek political clearance for the trip, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday amid an escalating political row over his alleged sexual harassment of several women.
On Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s demand for revocation of Revanna’s diplomatic passport, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such action can be taken only on the directions of a court.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is said to have left India on April 27, a day after voting for the Lok Sabha elections took place in his Hassan constituency.
The Janata Dal (Secular) has already suspended the Hassan MP from the party.
“No political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany,” Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on the MP’s reported travel to Germany.
“Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. The Ministry has not issued visa note for any other country,” the MEA spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged the prime minister to take swift action to cancel the diplomatic passport of Revanna that the JD(S) leader used to travel abroad.
Asked about whether the MEA may consider revocation of his passport in view of the allegations of sexual harassment against him, Jaiswal did not give a direct reply. “As regards the possible revocation of the passport of any individual, I would refer you to the relevant provisions of the Passport Act 1967. A direction should come from a court for revocation of passport. We are not in receipt of any directions from any court in this regard,” he said.
Jaiswal said Revanna travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and that he did not seek any political clearance for the trip.
The MEA spokesperson noted that parliamentarians are entitled to have diplomatic passports.
“The matter is being investigated and we will be doing whatever is needed to be done,” he said in reply to another question.
Asked whether Revanna used a diplomatic passport for his travel, Jaiswal said: “Yes, he travelled on a diplomatic passport.” The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged sex scandal involving Revanna. Revanna and his father H D Revanna, former Karnataka minister, were booked by police on Sunday on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household.
Nearly 3,000 explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna sexually abusing several women have gone viral in Hassan in recent days. (PTI)