BENGALURU: Karnataka MP
Prajwal Revanna
, suspended from JD(S) following his alleged involvement in a
sex scandal
, is expected to return to India from Germany on the intervening night of May 3-4 to confront investigations initiated by the state police’s SIT.
Prajwal, seeking re-election from
Hassan Lok Sabha seat
as JD(S) candidate in alliance with BJP, left for Frankfurt on April 27, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state.
His departure followed Congress govt’s announcement of the SIT to probe the allegations against him.
Breaking his silence on the issue, Prajwal on Wednesday expressed confidence that “truth will prevail”. “As I am not in Bangalore to attend the inquiry, I’ve communicated with CID, Bangalore, through my advocate (about joining the probe),” he said.
On Tuesday, SIT issued summons to Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda, to appear before it for questioning, failing which it would declare him an “absconder”. The probe agency has also summoned his father — Holenarasipur JD(S) MLA HD Revanna.
“In the notice served to my client (Prajwal), you (SIT) directed him to appear before them on Wednesday (May 1). Since he is out of Bengaluru, he needs at least seven days of time to appear before you,” Prajwal’s counsel G Arun wrote Wednesday to ADG, CID-SIT.
SIT visited Hassan and Holenarasipur Wednesday to speak to a 47-year-old woman, who lodged a complaint alleging sexual harassment by Revanna and Prajwal. Efforts to contact other women seen in the sex videos to record their statements proved fruitless. “Either their houses were locked or their mobile phones switched off. Their relatives and friends refused to share any details about them,” sources said.
The scandal kept the political pot boiling, with Union home minister Amit Shah criticising Congress govt’s handling of the case. “We have an alliance with JD(S). Now, (Prajwal) Revanna’s CD has come. They (Congress) thought they could corner BJP. I’m making it clear that BJP cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women. You (Cong govt) did not initiate any action till the elections in the Vokkaliga belt were over. You did politics and allowed him (Prajwal) to escape. Because of you, a heinous criminal fled the country,” he said during a poll rally in Hubballi.
