The special investigation team (SIT) on Tuesday conducted raids at seven locations that belonged to the aides of BJP MLA Preetam Gowda in Hassan district, days after the MLA’s two associates were arrested in connection with the leaking of the sex tapes of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, officials familiar with the matter said.
According to a senior officer, a team of more than 30 officers conducted simultaneous raids at seven places, including the houses, a bar, a hotel and an office belonging to the associates of Gowda.
The SIT has not issued an official statement on the matter, however, a senior officer confirmed that no arrests were made on Tuesday.
The raids come day after two associates of the Preetham Gowda, who are accused of distributing the explicit videos related to the sexual harassment case involving MP Prajwal Revanna, were sent to judicial custody by a local court in Hassan.
Following the arrests, Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “complicit in the scandal”, suggesting that the involvement of former MLA’s associates will reveal the role of more influential state leaders.
Ravi said: “The BJP does not have much support in Old Mysore. Hence, there is a conspiracy to keep the Janata Dal (Secular) by its side while trying to finish them off and bring their workers to the BJP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ravi said: “The BJP does not have much support in Old Mysore. Hence, there is a conspiracy to keep the Janata Dal (Secular) by its side while trying to finish them off and bring their workers to the BJP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Preetham Gowda has maintained that he would not comment on the matter since an investigation in underway.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday alleged that there was a “big whale” behind the leaking of explicit videos of women being sexually abused allegedly by his nephew and party MP from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna.
He said an MLA from Mandya had said ‘large whales’ were behind releasing the video. Asked to explain who the ‘big whale’ is, Kumaraswamy said, “Who else is it? Today an MLA from Mandya spoke about a ‘big whale’. Whatever the ‘big whale’ is saying, the same is followed by the ‘small whales’.”
He said that, after listening to the arguments of the lawyers, it appears prima facie that the arrest of MLA HD Revanna, Kumaraswamy’s brother, was “politics of hate”.
He asked how anyone would catch the ‘big whale’ when he is in the government.
Reacting to Kumaraswamy’s remarks, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said, “Let him (Kumaraswamy) arrest and swallow the ‘big whale’. I am neither a director nor a producer. I am only an exhibitor, a theatre exhibitor.”
On Kumaraswamy’s charges that Revanna was arrested to defame Deve Gowda, Shivakumar said, “Not at all. See, I too feel sorry for him (Revanna). I too feel that such things should not happen. It’s such a big family. Let them think whatever they want but I don’t wish anything bad for anyone and I don’t need it.”
The state Congress president said that he believed in the law of nature and he too had suffered a lot. “I too faced political conspiracy. I know how strong and full of self-confidence I am. That’s the reason that god protected me,” he said.
The explicit videos of alleged sexual abuse by Prajwal Revanna had been making the rounds on social media, and the government formed the SIT on April 28 to probe the case after the Karnataka State Commission for Women wrote a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking an investigation into it. A blue corner notice has been issued by the Interpol against Prajwal.
HD Revanna, who is the elder son of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and father or Prajwal, was arrested along with his confidant Sathish Babanna for allegedly abducting a woman on April 29.
The case was registered on a complaint filed by the woman’s son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Prajwal Revanna. He was released on bail on Tuesday.