Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna is likely to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31 in the sexual assault case, reported Times Now on Monday.
The 33-year-old Revanna, who is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda and is the NDA’s candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, has been facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women.
Revanna reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls. A ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on his whereabouts was issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against the Hassan MP, following an application moved by the SIT.
The cases of sexual abuse came to light after number of pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos involving Prajwal were reportedly circulated in Hassan ahead of the Lok Sabha polls there on April 26.
Passport cancellation
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said the state has not yet got any official response from the Centre regarding its request seeking cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing women. Taking a dig at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s reported statement that the state government’s request to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal was received only on May 21, he sought to know what happened to the letter sent by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1.
“As far as I know, we have not got any information or letter so far (from the Centre). I have seen that the External Affairs Minister has told the media that they are taking action and in a couple of days they will cancel it (diplomatic passport), but we have not got any written communication on this,” Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Chief Minister on May 1 wrote a letter to the Prime Minister seeking cancellation of Prajwal’s diplomatic passport, and after that the Special Investigation Team formed by the state government to probe the charges, too wrote a letter to the Centre with the same request.
“Where is the (response for) first (CM’s) letter? When a Chief Minister writes a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, it has to get its due respect. That did not happen. The External Affairs Minister is saying that they got the letter from the state on May 21, so we have to ask where did the first letter go? They are taking action, it is good, let them take, but him saying that we (state) have sent a letter now and not earlier, is not right,” PTI quoted him as saying.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs has served a show-cause notice to Prajwal asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Chief Minister Siddarmaiah had written a second letter to the Prime Minister urging him to take “prompt and necessary” action to cancel the diplomatic passport of the Hassan MP on May 22.
(With inputs from agencies)
