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HD Kumaraswamy claims Siddaramaiah's son's death in Belgium 'covered up'
Rakesh Siddaramaiah died due to multiple organ failure in Belgium on July 30, 2016 during the first tenure of Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka chief minister.
Amid a massive row over Prawal Revanna's disappearance after the emergence of hundreds of sexually explicit videos, HD Kumaraswamy, the former's uncle, questioned Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah over the latter's son's death in Belgium. He asked why had the chief minister not ordered a probe into his son Rakesh's death in 2016.
Rakesh Siddaramaiah died due to multiple organ failure in Belgium on July 30, 2016 during the first tenure of Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka chief minister.
Slamming Siddaramaiah for his comment that Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna fled the country with the knowledge of his family members, including his grandfather HD Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy, the former Karnataka chief minister, said other than keeping the issue alive, no efforts are being made to find out the truth in the sexual abuse case.
HD Kumaraswamy claimed there was a coverup in Rakesh Siddaramaiah's death. He asked which event he had gone abroad for and whether he took permission from his father.
The JD(S) leader asked the CM if he had sent his son abroad.
"Why did Siddaramaiah not order a probe into the death of Rakesh? Why was it covered up? Did the CM send him abroad?" he added.
Kumaraswamy asked the Karnataka chief minister to reveal who had accompanied Rakesh Siddaramaiah during his fatal trip.
He further said that efforts were on to finish off his family politically, using the Prajwal Revanna sex abuse videos.
Siddaramaiah issued a sharply worded response, saying there was no connection between his son's death and Prajwal Revanna's case. He called Kumaraswamy's nephew a rapist.
"I am not saying that sharing videos without blurring the faces of the victims is not an offence, but Kumaraswamy says my son's death is bigger than Prajwal rape case. I want to know under which section of IPC or any criminal law, it (Rakesh's death) is an offence," he added.
He said raising his death after eight years is foolishness.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former PM HD Deve Gowda and the MP from Hassan, fled to Germany after purported videos showing him sexually abusing women, were widely circulated across Karnataka.
A Blue Corner notice was issued against Prajwal Revanna to find out about his whereabouts.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
