JDS patron and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has issued a stern warning to his grandson, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, to return to India and face the legal process in unpopular Karnataka sex video case. Revanna is under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, following a complaint by a former household worker.
In a letter posted on X, Gowda expressed his ignorance of Revanna’s whereabouts. It urged him to submit to the law, emphasising his commitment to ensuring no interference from his family in the investigation. “This is not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing,” the party patriarch said in a statement which he shared on social media.
Prajwal, who is seeking re-election from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, has been on the run ever since a huge cache of explicit videos became public, showing women being sexually assaulted allegedly by him.
“At this juncture, I can do only one thing; I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process,” Gowda said in his letter.
“If he does not heed this warning, he will have to face my anger and the anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately,” he said.
Despite a Look Out Circular and a Blue Corner Notice, Revanna remains in hiding. The Karnataka government has constituted an SIT to investigate the charges, and efforts are underway to secure Revanna’s presence in India to face the criminal charges. The Ministry of External Affairs is processing the request for the cancellation of Revanna’s diplomatic passport.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport. Siddaramaiah highlighted that Revanna fled to Germany on April 27, 2024, shortly after allegations against him surfaced.
