BENGALURU: Former minister, and Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna, has been remanded in Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody for four days, until May 8, after the SIT officials informed the court that his custodial interrogation is required in the kidnap case registered against him.
The JDS MLA was arrested by the SIT on Saturday in connection with the kidnap of a woman, who reportedly appeared in one of the videos, after a court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Revanna was produced before the magistrate of the 17th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Ravindra Kattimani, at the latter’s residence located in National Games Village in Koramangala on Sunday evening, around 7 pm. Security at the judge’s residence was heightened, with the deployment of five inspectors and barricades were also set up.
The SIT sought police custody of the accused for five days, while Revanna’s advocate Murthy D Naik objected, stating that his client has health issues and is cooperating with the investigation. Considering the SIT’s request, the judge remanded the accused in police custody for four days.
Before producing him before the judge, the SIT took Revanna for a medical check-up at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, where the former minister asserted that his arrest, without evidence, was part of a political conspiracy. “In my 40-year political career, there have been no allegations against me,” he stated, maintaining that the arrest was orchestrated as part of a “political conspiracy”.
Revanna is one of the two accused named in a case filed in KR Nagar of Mysuru district. The complainant alleged that his mother was kidnapped to prevent her from approaching the police, regarding an alleged sexual assault by JDS MP and Revanna’s son, Prajwal Revanna.
The initial case against him was related to an alleged sexual assault by him and Prajwal, filed on April 28 in Holenarasipura, Hassan district. Revanna argued that there was a lack of evidence in the case. “Subsequently, on May 2, a kidnapping case was filed due to the absence of evidence in the previous case,” he alleged, while being taken to hospital for the check-up as part of the arrest procedure.
After the second round of examination, Dr Kemperaju, Medical Superintendent at Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institution, confirmed that Revanna’s health is stable, and mentioned that he only has diabetes.
SIT sets up helpline
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has requested information from the public in the case. In a statement, SIT chief BK Singh stated that victims or informants requiring protection or legal aid, as well as assistance in the case, can reach out on the helpline at 63609 38947. The SIT assured the victims or informants that their identities would be kept confidential.