Karnataka sex scandal: Court remands Prajwal Revanna to police custody till June 6

A special court for People's Representatives in Karnataka on Friday sent suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna to six-day police custody till June 6 in connection with the obscene videos case. The Hassan MP's advocate has also been granted permission to meet him between 09:30 am-10:30 am while in custody.

Revanna appeared before Justice KN Shivakumar after he was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, news agency ANI reported.  Prajwal Revanna, who is also the grandson of JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, was arrested by immigration officials and CISF at the Bengaluru International Airport when he returned from Germany this morning.

The SIT team confiscated two of his check-in bags and took them away in a separate car. Revanna left the country on April 27 amid allegations of sexual assault, a day after the polling for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Hassan got over. 

The SIT probing the sexual assault allegations against him sought a 15-day custody for him in the FIR registered against him in Holenarasipura on the basis of complaints by his former house help. Earlier in the day, the Karnataka Police appointed an all-female officer team to escort the accused in public.

Five women officers, including a Superintendent of Police, accompanied Prajwal during his transit at the airport. The police also utilised their older fleet of Bolero vehicles for escorting the suspended JD(S) leader instead of the upscale MPVs.  

Prajwal Revanna has been at the centre of a scandal ever since explicit videos featuring him allegedly sexually assaulting several women started doing the rounds in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency ahead of polling. After this, the state government formed an SIT to prove the allegations against the MP. 

Last week, Deve Gowda said his grandson should be punished if found guilty. He also said that Prajwal Revanna's failure to return to India and address the issue through legal means would attract his and the family's anger, leading to isolation from the Gowda family fold. The family has distanced themselves from Revanna after the charges came to the fore. 

On May 29, the SIT arrested 2 prime accused in the case-- Naveen Gowda and Chetan. As per officials, the accused were arrested when they appeared before the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The two prime accused allegedly distributed pen drives containing the obscene videos.