The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations of sexual abuse against Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna has issued a lookout circular, sources told TNM. This comes after he failed to appear before officials following a notice of appearance served on Tuesday, April 30.
The lookout circular has been issued to all immigration points across India, which means that Prajwal will be detained as soon as he reports at any of the immigration points at airports, sea ports, or border checkposts. This development comes after Prajwal failed to comply with a notice by the SIT summoning him for questioning.
On May 1, Prajwal posted on his official social media handle that he is currently outside of Bengaluru and has conveyed this to the Bengaluru CID through his lawyers. "As I am not in Bangalore to attend the inquiry, I have communicated to CID Bangalore through my Advocate. Truth will prevail soon," he wrote. He also posted a letter written by his advocate, Arun G, asking for seven days to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) put together by the Karnataka government to probe the matter.
Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former PM HD Deve Gowda, and he reportedly left the country after multiple women accused him of sexual abuse and filming the abuse to blackmail them. The videos, with unblurred faces of the women, were then circulated widely, allegedly by Prajwal’s political opponents. It is estimated that the number of clips runs up to 3,000 with unblurred footage of over 70 women, including JD(S) party workers, wives of JD(S) workers, public servants, media persons, and many others.
Read: Sex abuse videos: Prajwal’s ex-driver claims he handed them over only to BJP leader
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on April 27, announced an investigation by an SIT to probe the matter, including who spread the videos. Prajwal was suspended from the JD(S) on April 30, after a core committee meeting of party workers demanded his removal.
In June 2023, the MP obtained a gag order from the court, barring most media from reporting “derogatory articles, videos” against him. He is seeing re-election as MP from Hassan as an NDA candidate, and G Devaraje Gowda, who was the BJP’s Holenarasipura candidate during the 2023 Assembly elections, said that he had written to state president BY Vijayendra on December 8, 2023, warning against nominating Prajwal, owing to his predatory behaviour.
On April 28, a 47-year-old woman filed a complaint against Prajwal and his father Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna accusing them of sexually harassing her and her daughter while she was employed at the Revanna household as a domestic worker.