BENGALURU: Holenarasipur JDS MLA, 66-year-old HD Revanna, who was arrested on charges of kidnapping a 47-year-old victim of sexual assault, was released from the Parappana Agrahara central prison around 1.30 pm on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by a few party MLAs and other leaders, while several party workers had gathered outside the jail to extend their support. They greeted him with slogans and followed him in a large convoy of vehicles.
As he was walking out of the prison, Revanna refused to speak to mediapersons, but greeted them with only a namaste. At 2.05 pm, he arrived at his sister’s house in Padmanabhanagar to meet his parents. He is said to have wept looking at his family members and took blessings from his father, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, and mother Chennammma.
Revanna’s brother and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was at the house. A team of advocates also accompanied Revanna. After taking a rest for a while, he then went to a temple.
Elaborate police deployment had been made near the prison. One DCP, three ACPs, six inspectors, 20 sub-inspectors and 250 police personnel were on security duty. The police were also deployed near the Padmanabhanagar residence and the roads were barricaded.
Revanna, who spent six days in jail, was granted conditional bail on Monday by a Special Court for Elected Representatives.
He was remanded in judicial custody on May 8 after his arrest from his sister’s house in Padmanabhanagar on May 4.
Two FIRs have been registered against him. The first complaint of sexual harassment was filed by one of the victims at the Holenarasipur Town police station in Hassan district on April 28.
The second of kidnapping was registered by another victim’s 20-year-old son on May 2 at the KR Nagar police station in Mysuru district, for which Revanna was arrested.