HASSAN: A Special Investigation Team has taken up a case of sexual harassment against Holenarasipur MLA HD Revanna and his son, sitting Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. The scandal broke out after one of the victims reportedly filed a complaint with the State Women’s Commission, and obscene videos of alleged sexual assault went viral on social media.
The SIT, led by ADGP-- CID Bijay Kumar Singh and comprising Additional Commissioner Suman D Pennekar and Mysuru SP Seema Latkar, began investigations into the case filed against the JDS leaders at Holenarasipur Town police station.
Police filed a case under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (embarrassing a woman), 506 (threat), 509 (insult to the modesty of a woman), and made Revanna Accused 1 and Prajwal Revanna Accused 2. As per the complaint, a woman who worked as a domestic help in the Revanna household has complained that both Revanna and Prajwal sexually harassed her when she alone in the house.
An estimated 2,876 women were allegedly exploited by Prajwal, according to women’s commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary, who claimed to have received the complaint on her WhatsApp account. In reaction, Prajwal filed an FIR against Naveen Gowda of Belur in Hassan district, refuting allegations over the obscene videos, which he claimed were morphed and were being circulated to tarnish his image and poison the minds of voters ahead of elections. He filed the FIR a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for an SIT probe.
Women’s commission for stringent action
THE government directed the SIT to submit a detailed report through the DG&IGP at the earliest. The women’s commission has urged the government to initiate stringent action against the guilty.
The SIT is likely to begin its probe at the MP Quarters on RC Road in Hassan, to record the statements of the victims if they come forward. The team will also collect the pen drives with the videos and send them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further investigation.
Sources said the SIT will issue notices to the accused and summon them for the investigation, and also issue a lookout notice for Prajwal Revanna, to record his statements.
Prajwal and his friends reportedly went to Germany on a seven-day tour on Saturday, after voting concluded for Phase-2 on Friday. Prajwal, grandson of JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda, is the Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan. For the first time, a criminal case has been filed against HD Revanna in his hometown.