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Prajwal Revanna will be arrested on arrival: Karnataka minister
Prajwal Revanna will be arrested upon landing in the state, Karnataka’s home minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday, as reports indicated that the JD(S) leader, suspended from his party since allegations of sexual assault were made against him last month, was due to arrive from Germany early on Friday.
Prajwal Revanna will be arrested upon landing in the state, Karnataka’s home minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday, as reports indicated that the JD(S) leader, suspended from his party since allegations of sexual assault were made against him last month, was due to arrive from Germany early on Friday.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat where he is the incumbent, left for Germany on April 27, a day after polling was held and shortly after thousands of videos emerged of him with other women.
Some of the women have since gone on to accuse Prajwal of sexually assaulting them, and the state government headed by the ally-turned-rival Congress has now formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the allegations.
Parameshwara said the government is aware of a booking made by the MP on a Munich-Bengaluru Lufthansa flight that was due to arrive around 1:30am on Friday. “The information is he (Prajwal) will come, he has booked the flight ticket. SIT has made the necessary preparations. If he comes, the legal process will begin,” Parameshwara told reporters on Thursday.
Upon arrival, immigration officials will detain Prajwal due to an active lookout notice. “As per law, a warrant has been issued against him, so he will have to be arrested,” Parameshwara explained, noting that the SIT would execute the arrest.
Prajwal, in a video statement, mentioned he would present himself before the SIT at 10 am on May 31. “He himself has said in the video statement that he will appear before SIT... So I feel that he will come... In case he doesn’t, the process will follow, like cancelling his passport,” Parameshwara added. Should Revanna fail to appear, further steps, including, Interpol involvement, may be pursued, the minister added.
Prajwal’s anticipatory bail application filed on Wednesday denies all allegations, claiming political motivation behind the accusations. The plea states, “Prajwal has not done the alleged act in the complaint and neither has he committed any of the offences incorporated in the present case. The alleged electronic evidence are all fabricated to register a false case.”
The application also mentions that Prajwal had a previously good relationship with the accuser (a political activist, who filed a case against him). “Prajwal is shocked to hear the wild allegations made in the complaint,” it reads, arguing that political growth and envy fuelled the charges.
Prajwal insists his departure from India was pre-planned and unrelated to the allegations. “Prajwal, having participated in the election process on April 26, 2024, left the country as he had already planned. However, a smear campaign was orchestrated against Prajwal and his father, eventually resulting in the filing of false cases,” the application claims.
