The challenges seem to mount for HD Revanna (67), a legislator and son of former Prime Minister HD Devegowda, as well as his MP son, Prajwal Revanna (33), in a sex scandal case. An FIR has been lodged against both based on a complaint by their domestic help, implicating them in charges of sexual exploitation. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has dispatched notices to the accused for interrogation related to the case. Previously, the JDS has suspended Prajwal, who had fled abroad even before the FIR was filed.
Prajwal was a consecutive second-time candidate from the Hassan seat for the JDS-BJP alliance. After voting concluded in the second phase, he left for Germany. Reportedly, videos of Prajwal's alleged sexual exploitation surfaced online just two days before voting. On the recommendation of the Karnataka State Women’s Commission, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the formation of an SIT to investigate. On April 28, a former domestic worker lodged an FIR against both Prajwal and his legislator father HD Revanna for sexual exploitation at the Holenarasipura police station in the Hassan region. A three-member team led by ADGP BK Singh is now probing the case. The SIT's investigation is expected to clarify the number of videos and their timelines of creation.
'More than 2500 videos related to Revanna have surfaced'
To date, Prajwal Revanna is reported to have over 2500 obscene video clips involving different girls. The investigation agency has found a pen drive containing obscene videos related to Revanna.
The complainant alleges ties to Revanna's wife's family. She states that Revanna started harassing her within four months of her maid job, touching her inappropriately under various pretexts, particularly when his wife was out. As for Prajwal, his presence incited such fear that she would hide in his own store. The victim also accused Prajwal of making obscene video calls to her daughter. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against the two under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), 506 (threatening), and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman). The allegations against Revanna and Prajwal span from 2019 to 2022.
Work at Revanna's house had become difficult, confirms Nagalakshmi Chaudhary, the chairperson of the Karnataka Women’s Commission. She revealed that a pen drive contains videos of sexual harassment involving hundreds of victims, including officials' families and party workers. Women in the viral videos are seen begging to be let go and crying while Prajwal himself shoots the video. Following the videos becoming public, these women express concerns for their own safety.
Previously, Prajwal filed a lawsuit on June 1 of last year in the Bengaluru Civil Court against 86 media outlets and three individuals, seeking an injunction to stop the dissemination of fake news and altered videos about him. On June 2, 2023, the Civil Court restrained their broadcast, stating that their circulation could pose a greater danger. The viral videos caused a storm in Karnataka's political landscape post-election.
A BJP leader also wrote a letter prior to the election. Karnataka BJP leader Devaraje Gowda wrote to state president BY Vijayendra and Union Home Minister Amit Shah last December, claiming that Prajwal and the Devegowda family were involved in illegal activities. He alleged to possess a pen drive containing 2,976 videos shot purportedly by Prajwal Revanna. Some videos also show female officers, and they were being used to blackmail women into engaging in sexual activities. The letter warned that if Prajwal were nominated as the NDA's candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, Congress might use this as a weapon against them.
What does Revanna say? HD Revanna, son of former PM HD Devegowda and MLA from Holenarasipura in Hassan, has also been accused of sexual exploitation. He suggests that the viral videos date back 4-5 years and are resurfacing just now, when an FIR is being filed. He has chosen not to comment further as the matter is currently under SIT investigation.
If the allegations are proven, what are the potential sentences? Under IPC Section 354A, sexual harassment carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a fine. Section 354D involves stalking and can lead to a maximum of five years in prison and a fine. For criminal intimidation under Section 506, the maximum punishment is seven years in jail plus a fine. Lastly, insult to a woman's modesty under Section 509 may result in a maximum of three years in jail and a fine.
