Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Deve Gowda, finds himself embroiled in a sex tapes scandal in Karnataka. Thousands of pen drives allegedly having his sexual assault videos were circulated in Hassan, the Lok Sabha constituency from where he was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-JD (S) candidate. Although he claimed that the videos were doctored, he left for Frankfurt on the day the Karnataka Police constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe sexual assault charges against him. Here’s a low down on the case and its political implications:
Who is Prajwal Revanna?
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Prajwal Revanna is sitting member of Lok Sabha from Hassan in Karnartaka and is grandson of former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H D Deve Gowda. He was the only JD (S) leader to win in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Hassan, a family political borough. Prajwal’s father HD Revanna, eldest son of Deve Gowda, was minister in the cabinet led by his younger brother H D Kumaraswamy, who headed the Congress-JD (S) alliance government, in 2018-19. Prajwal graduated as a mechanical engineer from Bangalore Institute of Technology in 2014 and was appointed JD (S) state general secretary in November 2019.
What is the sex tape controversy involving him?
During the campaign for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, thousands of videos were circulated among the voters purportedly having sex tapes of Prajwal with several women. Most of the tapes were allegedly recorded by Prajwal on his mobile phone, which was then transferred to his laptop. Most of the tapes are said to be shot in his house and office. Initially, the Gowda family and the BJP termed the tapes as doctored to malign the image of the family in elections but later, HD Kumaraswamy distanced himself from the tapes saying the police was investigating the case.
What is the total number of videos?
As per the Karnataka police, a pen drive circulated among people in Hassan had 2,976 videos, some with a duration of a few seconds and some with a few minutes. A preliminary investigation showed that most of the videos were shot from a mobile phone in a storeroom at their residence in Bengaluru and Hassan after 2019. Police have sent some of the pen drives for forensic examination to verify their authenticity.
Have police cases been registered against Prajwal?
On Saturday, a complaint was filed by a woman working in his Hassan home, alleging that he and his father, JD (S) MLA from Holenarasipur, H D Revanna, had sexually abused her several times between 2019 and 2022. The complainant alleged that in the fourth month of her employment in 2019, Revanna started summoning her to his house. “Whenever (HD) Revanna’s wife wasn’t there, he used to call the women to the storeroom and touch them while giving them fruits. He used to remove saree pins and sexually assault women,” she added. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (outraging modesty of a woman).
On Wednesday, Poornachandra Tejaswi MG, election agent of Revanna lodged a police complaint against one Naveen Gowda accusing him of circulating the videos to defame Revanna. “Naveen Gowda and others altered videos and images and circulated them to voters in the Hassan Lok Sabha segment using pen drives, CDs, and WhatsApp, aiming to tarnish Prajwal Revanna’s reputation and dissuade people from voting for him,” the complaint said. Prajwal had got an injunction from the court against circulation of the videos.
On Saturday, chief minister Siddaramaiah constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe charges against Prajwal. “There are reports of obscene video clips circulating in Hassan district, suggesting possible instances of sexual assault against women,” the chief minister’s office (CMO) said in a statement announcing the constitution of the SIT. Officials said the SIT has already recorded statement of the woman, who has lodged the complaint.
Where is Prajwal?
According to a statement issued by Karnataka chief minister’s office, Prajwal on Saturday morning boarded a flight to Frankfurt in Germany. The claim was not denied by the Gowda family. H D Kumaraswamy said the SIT will bring his nephew back and investigate.
What could be the political ramifications for Karnataka polls?
The Congress has tried to make the most of the controversy claiming that the BJP was aware of the videos in December before forming an alliance with the JD (S). BJP MLA Pritam Gowda and senior party leader Devaraje Gowda of Hassan on Monday claimed that they had informed state party president B Y Vijayendra about the videos in December itself but despite that the party went ahead and had an alliance with the JD (S).
Statistically, the videos may not have major impact for the BJP as most of the Vokkaliga dominant areas in south Karnataka, where the JD (S) has influence, have gone to vote in the first phase. The second phase of polling in Karnataka on May 7 is in the northern parts of the state, where the JD (S) has no influence. In the 2023 assembly elections, the JD (S) won only 2 of its 19 seats outside south Karnataka and those were reserved seats of Devadurga in Raichur, and Shivamogga (rural) in Shivamogga district. Political experts said the controversy is a major blow to the BJP in the perception battle even though the party has distanced itself from the controversy.
Within the JD (S) the call to sack Prajwal and his father is gaining traction. Senior JD(S) MLA Sharan Gouda Kandkur articulated the unease within the JD(S) and wrote to national president HD Deve Gowda to “expel” his grandson from the party immediately. Kumaraswamy has also distanced himself from the nephew.
