The Karnataka government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 27 to investigate allegations against Prajwal after nearly 3,000 explicit videos allegedly involving him appeared on social media. The SIT has filed a case against five people including Prajwal’s father HD Revanna. HD Revanna remains out on conditional bail. Notably, on May 19, a special court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru had issued an arrest warrant against Revanna. The Interpol had also issued a ‘Blue Corner Notice’ to find out where he was after a request from the SIT through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). At present, a total of three cases of sexual assault have been registered by three women against Prajwal Revanna.

As per a report of Hindustan Times, the members of the SIT probing the sexual assault case had sent an all-women police team to camp out at the airport the entire night and then arrest Revanna. Upon his arrival in India, the SIT team confiscated two of his check-in baggage and took him into custody.

#WATCH | ‘Obscene videos’ case | JD(S) suspended MP Prajwal Revanna brought to the CID office in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/ZVnkJoNEnK

— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2024

Multiple media report has suggested that once the accused is presented before the special magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest, the SIT is planning to subject the politician to a potency test. As per the report of Indian Express, voice samples and other attributes, including DNA, are likely to be collected, according to sources.

It is also essential to note that the SIT has also issued a notice to Prajwal’s mother Bhavani Revanna for questioning on June 1. According to the news agency, Revanna’s mother is not an accused in the case but SIT might probe her role. Her anticipatory bail will also be coming up for hearing today in the special court along with Prajwal Revanna’s anticipatory bail plea.

Brief background of the case:

Electronic devices like pen drives and CDs had emerged in the public domain on April 21, ahead of the April 26 Hassan parliament poll, which had suggested that Prajwal Revanna, the Hassan MP, had allegedly carried out sexual assaults on several women in Hassan and recorded the attacks on his phone camera. It is to be noted that as many as 2,900 files with videos and images of the sexual encounters of the MP were found in the pen drives that were leaked. A helpline had also been set up by the SIT to report incidents of attack by the MP.

The first FIR was registered against Revanna on April 28 after a woman who worked in his household filed a complaint of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against him. The MP, who is seeking re-election from Hassan, had said in a video message earlier this week that he would present himself before the SIT at 10 am on Friday, May 31.

Related:

Federation of Karnataka State People’s Movements to protest against Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case on May 30

Prajwal Revanna sexual violence case: Arrest warrant against Revanna issued by court, JD(S) decries political conspiracy

JD(S) leader HD Revanna, accused of allegedly kidnapping a survivor of sexual assault by son Prajwal Revanna, granted bail

NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna accused of sexually exploiting and videotaping thousands of women

The post Absconding Prajwal Revanna arrested from Bengaluru airport in early hours on May 31, SIT to seek potency test appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Tagged the #HassanChalo march, it featured the banner ‘Namma Nadege, Hassana Kadega’ (Our march towards Hassan). The rally witnessed a wide scale participation of citizens, artists, activists, and intellectuals. People from neighbouring districts such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangeluru, Ballari, and Chikkamagaluru also participated in the march. The march was joined by various civil society groups working on human rights, minorities, gender, Dalits etc.  Amidst demands for strong actions against the perpetrators, the leaders in the rally also demanded that those who had distributed the pen drives with videos reportedly made by Revanna should be also arrested for “putting to auction women’s honour.”

Hundreds of women from all over the #Karnataka state, along with activists participated in the massive #HassanChalo Protest Rally in Hassan, against rape-accused #Hassan MP #PrajwalRevanna, demanding his arrest and justice for the women whom he allegedly assaulted and filmed. pic.twitter.com/NMmESGdovt

— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) May 30, 2024

#Karnataka: The ‘Hassan Chalo’ march is to begin from Maharaja Park to Old Taluka office.

A number of organisations have gathered in #Hassan that includes women, farmers, students, gender minorities, writers, intellectuals, artists, and retired government officers to protest… pic.twitter.com/TWJ0PsMkjR

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 30, 2024

South First reported Subhashini Ali, former MP from CPI (M) and All India Democratic Women’s Association vice-president, demanding for ‘no bail, only jail. Ali also highlighted how victims are being intimidated in the aftermath of the news hitting the light, “The power play here has been created to abuse and scare women and deny justice to them. We and the citizens of the country has to break this alliance of patriarchy, feudalism, sexual abuse and political power.”

The protests blocked the main road after the DC Sathyabhama failed to turn up to collect the memorandum by the protestors. However, after they blocked the main road and launched a protest outside Hassan DC office, Hassan ADC KT Shantala turned up to collect their memorandum.

Some of the issues that the protestors have included are demands for the protection of victims exploited by Revanna, recognition that their privacy, safety and dignity was violated. Secondly, they demanded that steps be taken to find and destroy all related media. Along with that, they demanded the cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport and criticised the central government for its inaction and political interference. The protest also called for an impartial investigation to take place that treats the victims with sensitivity.

The Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna was been found accused of grievous crimes, including rape, sexual harassment, outraging modesty after graphic and even violent videos of him sexually harassing women went viral in the constituency. An SIT was formed for investigation in the case which reportedly has almost 3000 women who are victims. A day before his return to India on May 30, Revanna who fled to Germany just shortly after the accusations flared on April 26, had filed for anticipatory bail on May 29. This was filed shortly after two of the prime accused who had distributed the pen drives were arrested by the police. As of now, Revanna’s father and JD(S) leader and MLA HD Revanna has also been released on bail despite being accused of kidnapping and intimidating a victim. He has also, like his son, been accused of sexual harassment

Related:

Federation of Karnataka State People’s Movements to protest against Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case on May 30

Prajwal Revanna sexual violence case: Arrest warrant against Revanna issued by court, JD(S) decries political conspiracy

JD(S) leader HD Revanna, accused of allegedly kidnapping a survivor of sexual assault by son Prajwal Revanna, granted bail

NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna accused of sexually exploiting and videotaping thousands of women

Report card: BJP and crimes against women

The post #HassanChalo: Thousands protest demanding justice for the victims of Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka appeared first on SabrangIndia.

What is the Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case?

Electronic devices like pen drives and CDs had emerged in the public domain on April 21, ahead of the April 26 Hassan parliament poll, which had suggested that Prajwal Revanna, the Hassan MP, had allegedly carried out sexual assaults on several women in Hassan and recorded the attacks on his phone camera. It is to be noted that as many as 2,900 files with videos and images of the sexual encounters of the MP were found in the pen drives that were leaked. A helpline had also been set up by the SIT to report incidents of attack by the MP. At present, a total of three cases of sexual assault have been registered by three women against Prajwal Revanna.

On May 13, JD(S) leader and Karnataka Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) HD Revanna was granted conditional bail by Bengaluru court. The said bail was granted by the Special court in connection with a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegation against him and his son Prajwal. The said MLA had spent after seven days in jail after four-day police custody.  While granting bail, Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat had imposed conditions that required the accused to furnish a bond for Rs 5 lakh, along with two sureties. In addition to this, H D Revanna has been barred from leaving the country, entering KR Nagar in Mysuru district, and interacting with the witnesses. He has also been asked to cooperate with the SIT investigation.

A special court on May 18 had issued an arrest warrant against Prajwal. Notably, till now, three FIRs had been filed against him in cases related to alleged sexual abuse. On May 27, absconding Prajwal Revanna had released a video stating that he will be appearing before the SIT on May 31 and will “fully cooperate in the investigation”. He had also suggested that he went into “depression and isolation” after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders spoke about his sexual abuse videos.

Issues highlighted in the meeting of the Federation:

Protecting the dignity of the victims: In the press release, the issue of protecting the women who have been sexually exploited by Prajwal Revanna was raised. The videos of the sexual abuse, which had been non-consensually recorded by Prajwal Revanna, were circulated among the public through pen drives and social-media which have resulted in the violation of the privacy and dignity of the abused women. The Federation states that attempts were being made to show the said content to the children, families, relatives and acquaintances of the victims and such attempts could continue in the future as well.

Highlighting the same, the Federation had discussed and called for taking of such steps that mitigate the severity of this situation. Additionally, the organisation asked for the government to take measures to find all the videos and photographs related to the Hassan scandal anywhere on the internet and to destroy all the sources of the same.

Cancellation of ‘Diplomatic Passport’ of Prajwal Revanna: The organisations also provided that the union government is yet to cancel the ‘Diplomatic Passport’ issued to Prajwal Revanna, and has not even responded to the letter written by state government seeking help with his arrest. Based on this, the organisations demanded for the government to take quick and concrete steps towards cancellation of the ‘Diplomatic Passport’ granted to Prajwal Revanna.

Politicisation of the issue taking away the severity of the crime: In addition to the union government failing to take appropriate steps to arrest Prajwal Revanna, the press release pointed to the pressure being Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, along with other JDS and BJP leaders in demanding a handover of the case CBI with the clear intension to derail the investigation. Furthermore, the organisations also noted that the Congress party’s involvement in the mudslinging has also hampered the seriousness of the scandal. the organisations also emphasised upon the SIT’s duty to contact the directly and reassure the victims of sexual abuse by providing them appropriate protection.

The complete press release can be read here:

Related:

Prajwal Revanna sexual violence case: Arrest warrant against Revanna issued by court, JD(S) decries political conspiracy

JD(S) leader HD Revanna, accused of allegedly kidnapping a survivor of sexual assault by son Prajwal Revanna, granted bail

NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna accused of sexually exploiting and videotaping thousands of women

National Commission for Women: An instrument of social justice or a mere political mouthpiece?

The post Federation of Karnataka State People’s Movements to protest against Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case on May 30 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The move followed an application by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was formed to investigate Prajwal’s alleged atrocities on women, as per local media reports. The said SIT had been formed on the recommendations of Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary.

Previously, a Blue Corner notice had been issued against Prajwal Revanna. A blue notice permits Interpol to gather details regarding an individual’s identity, whereabouts, or actions linked to a criminal inquiry. Karnataka Home Minister, G Parameshwara had earlier provided that the state government has requested Interpol’s help in repatriating Revanna, as per a report of the Hindu.

Brief background of the case:

Electronic devices like pen drives and CDs had emerged in the public domain on April 21, ahead of the April 26 Hassan parliament poll, which had suggested that Prajwal Revanna, the Hassan MP, had allegedly carried out sexual assaults on several women in Hassan and recorded the attacks on his phone camera. It is to be noted that as many as 2,900 files with videos and images of the sexual encounters of the MP were found in the pen drives that were leaked. A helpline had also been set up by the SIT to report incidents of attack by the MP. At present, a total of three cases of sexual assault have been registered by three women against Prajwal Revanna.

On May 13, JD(S) leader and Karnataka Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) HD Revanna was granted conditional bail by Bengaluru court. The said bail was granted by the Special court in connection with a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegation against him and his son Prajwal. The said MLA had spent after seven days in jail after four-day police custody.  While granting bail, Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat had imposed conditions that required the accused to furnish a bond for Rs 5 lakh, along with two sureties. In addition to this, H D Revanna has been barred from leaving the country, entering KR Nagar in Mysuru district, and interacting with the witnesses. He has also been asked to cooperate with the SIT investigation.

Blame games and leaked audios- political angle to a case of sexual violence against women

Reaction of Janata Dal (Secular) party supremo Deve Gowda: Since the breaking out of this news, a deafening silence had been maintained by many. Finally, on Saturday, H. D. Gowda broke his silence over the charges levelled against Revanna and stated that he has no objection if action is taken against his grandson in such case that he is found guilty.

However, H.D. Gowda maintained his stance that the said case as well as the allegations levied against his son and grandson are false and fabricated. As per a report of the Hindu, H.D. Gowda stated that “… I don’t want to comment on things that are going on in the court regarding Revanna. Prajwal Revanna has gone abroad, regarding that Kumaraswamy (Gowda’s other son and state JD(S) chief) has on behalf of our family said it is the duty of the government to take action in accordance with the law of the land.”

Furthermore, he said that “There are several people connected to this (sexual abuse cases), I don’t want to take anyone’s names. Kumaraswamy has said that for those who are involved in this matter, action should be taken against all of them, and the affected women should get justice and compensation. There is no objection from us for taking action against Prajwal. But people have come to know (facts) about the allegations made against Revanna, and how the case has been created. In one case he has got the bail, in another case, there is a judgment the day after tomorrow… I don’t want to comment on it.”

Leaked audio suggests political angle: On May 19, a new audio went viral in which two BJP party leaders can be heard having a conversation regarding leaking of the now leaked videos and the consequences it might have on the survivors’/victims. L.R. Shivarame Gowda (BJP) is allegedly heard trying to convince Devaraje Gowda (BJP) to distribute pen drives containing the obscene videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna. As per multiple media reports, during the said conversation, L.R. Shivarame Gowda (BJP) was asking Mr. Devaraje Gowda to “distribute the pen drives and pass on the blame for it on former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy [JD(S)] as a case of the latter wanting to promote his son.”

As per a report of the Hindu, in the audio, L.R. Shivarame Gowda (BJP) was allegedly convincing Mr. Devaraje Gowda (BJP) to hand over all the videos pertaining to the case to him by saying: “Do not underestimate Mr. Kumaraswamy, former Prime Minister H.D. Gowda and his family. The government is determined to ruin their lives. I am wondering why Mr. H.D. Gowda has not committed suicide till now.”

While convincing Devaraje Gowda (BJP), Shivarame Gowda (BJP) can then be heard asking to not worry much about consequences of distributing pen drives. “What is wrong about sharing the videos?” he asks in the audio clip. Upon Devaraje Gowda (BJP) pointing out the impact that the leaked videos will have on the lives of the survivors/victims, L.R. Shivarame Gowda (BJP) is heard telling him that Union Home Minister Amit Shah (BJP) recently said in Chennai that Karnataka is not a safe place for women.

JD(S) brings in the angle of conspiracy: As the leaked audio hit the social media and news, the JD(S) raised a serious allegation against the current State Congress government, stating that they hatched a conspiracy to take away the life of former Prime Minister H.D. Gowda.

In furtherance to this, the party, which is an ally of the current ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleged that State Congress president Mr. Shivakumar is the “original owner of the pen drive factory,” accused him of leading the “sleeper cell” of pen drive distribution.

As per the JD(S) party, a total of four conspiracies lie behind the whole sexual violence case, which involve bringing discredit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tarnishing the image and leadership of Mr. Kumaraswamy, breaking the JD(S)-BJP alliance and plotting to kill Mr. HD Gowda.

Only a day before this, on May 19, Devaraje Gowda (BJP) had claimed that the deputy Chief minister D.K. Shivakumar was offered a sum of 100 crore to accuse Mr. Kumaraswamy of masterminding the circulation of pen drives.

Related:

JD(S) leader HD Revanna, accused of allegedly kidnapping a survivor of sexual assault by son Prajwal Revanna, granted bail

NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna accused of sexually exploiting and videotaping thousands of women

Report card: BJP and crimes against women

The post Prajwal Revanna sexual violence case: Arrest warrant against Revanna issued by court, JD(S) decries political conspiracy appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As per a report in the LiveLaw, Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat pronounced the said bail order in the evening of May 13 after having heard senior advocate CV Nagesh, appearing for Revanna, and additional special public prosecutors (SPPs) Jayana Kothari and Ashok N Nayak appearing for the special investigation team. While grant of bail, Judge Bhat imposed conditions that require the accused to furnish a bond for Rs 5 lakh, along with two sureties. In addition to this, HD Revanna has been barred from leaving the country, entering KR Nagar in Mysuru district, and interacting with the witnesses. He has also been asked to cooperate with the SIT investigation. 

Brief background:

As per a report of the Indian Express, electronic devices like pen drives and CDs had emerged in the public domain on April 21, ahead of the April 26 Hassan parliament poll, which had suggested that Prajwal Revanna, son of HD Revanna, had allegedly carried out sexual assaults on several women in Hassan and recorded the attacks on his phone camera. It is to be noted that as many as 2,900 files with videos and images of the sexual encounters of the MP were found in the pen drives that were leaked. A helpline had also been set up by the SIT to report incidents of attack by the MP.

The case against HD Revanna:

On May 4, HD Revanna was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government after a kidnapping case of a woman, believed to be one of the survivors of the sexual violence scandal involving his son, was registered against HD Revanna at KR Nagar police station in Bengaluru. This came after the anticipatory bail plea filed by HD Revanna was rejected in the kidnapping case. The said SIT is probing the alleged sexual abuse case filed against HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna. Prajwal Revanna, who is yet to be arrested, has been absconding since April 27. Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP, is seeking another term from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency and is an ally of the BJP party.

It is to be noted that HD Revanna had been arrested on the charge that he, along with others, abducted a rape survivor/victim from her KR Nagar home in Mysuru district. The SIT is also probing him for charges of sexual harassment of a domestic help.

Arguments raised during petition hearing:

Arguments raised by the petitioners: On May 9, while the bail petition filed by HD Revanna was being argued, counsel CV Nagesh had alleged that the case against the MLA was not maintainable under the law as there was no mention of evidence against him in the petition filed by the SIT.

“The only argument of the prosecution is that I have not cooperated but they have not found a speck of evidence against me.”

As per the report of Indian Express, the senior counsel had further claimed that “there is neither kidnapping nor abduction” involved in the case. He pointed to the court that the victim was not attacked in the period between April 29 and May 5 when she was reported to have been abducted. The defence counsel had sought a copy of the voluntary statement recorded by the woman before a magistrate on the sexual assault on her. The SIT had told the court that a statement had been recorded.

“There was no allegation of the survivor being forced or trapped. There was no demand. HD Revanna is a politician and there are political reasons behind his arrest. The incident took place on April 29 and the FIR was filed on May 2. There was no kidnap or illegal detention. The survivor was a maid at HD Revanna’s residence and the kidnap charges don’t apply.”

Mr Nagesh had lastly stated that HD Revanna had been arrested unnecessarily as he could have been released after questioning and called back for interrogation whenever needed.

Arguments by the SIT: SPP Jayna Kothari told the special court that the woman, who was allegedly kidnapped on the instructions of H D Revanna, was a victim of sexual assault by Prajwal Revanna. The said woman had worked for six years at the home of the accused and was forcibly taken away on April 29 from her home by the MLA’s associates on the orders of the MLA, the SPP had argued as per a report of Indian Express. She had provided that the victim was later found on May 5 by the SIT at a farm that was 40 km from her residence which belonged to an associate of the Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna.

Kothari had urged for the rejection of the bail plea by pointing to the court that such leniency in a kidnapping case would send a wrong signal to the victims of sexual harassment by Prajwal. Kothari had said that the offense of kidnapping, dealt under Section 364 A of the Indian Penal Code, alleged against HD Revanna itself prescribes serious punishment of death or life imprisonment. The SPP argued that the case involved the abduction of the woman and holding her under threat to her life as expressed by the woman in her statement to police after her rescue.

Kothari further highlighted that the effort to kidnap was done to obstruct the course of justice and tamper with evidence. Kothari had also emphasised upon HD Revanna’s influence and had alleged that giving bail to him would lead to a “danger of justice being thwarted”.

“The kidnapping is an offence that is in continuation of other crimes.”

“The son has absconded and are we in any doubt that the petitioner will not abscond?”

The grant of bail:

As The Special court in Bengaluru granted bail to leader H D Revanna accused of kidnapping a woman by stating the following:

“Bail Application filed by the the petitioner under Sec.439 of Cr.P.C., in Cr.No.149/2024 registered by the respondent Police station for the offences punishable under Sec.364-A, 365 read with Sec.34 of IPC pending on the file of the learned XLII ACMM Court at Bengaluru is hereby allowed and the petitioner is hereby admitted to bail on executing a personal bond for Rs.5,00,000/- with two sureties to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional court.”

As per LiveLaw, the following court has imposed the following conditions on HD Revanna:

1. a) The petitioner shall not threaten and tamper the prosecution witnesses or the complainant and victim.
2. b) The petitioner shall not evade the Investigation and shall appear before the I.O. whenever called by him for the purpose of investigation.
3. c) The petitioner shall furnish his passport to the Court and shall not leave the State Court without obtaining written permission from the Court.
4. d) The petitioner shall not enter upon K.R.Nagar Taluk or the permanent place of residence of the victim directly or indirectly till further orders.
5. e) The petitioner shall appear before the I.O. on every second Sunday of the month and mark his attendance between 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. for a period of 6 months or till the filing of charge sheet, whichever is earlier.
6. f) The petitioner shall not indulge in similar offence. Office is directed to return the CD files to the prosecution

Related:

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Unjust detention: Gautam Navlakha’s bail victory highlights insufficient evidence

Sexual harassment, stalking and molestation accused Brij Bhushan granted two day interim bail by Delhi Court

The post JD(S) leader HD Revanna, accused of allegedly kidnapping a survivor of sexual assault by son Prajwal Revanna, granted bail appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 The grandson of JDS chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, reportedly left for Germany after voting took place in his constituency on April 26. His father HD Revanna, who is a MLA for the Holenarasipur constituency, has also been accused in the case of sexual harassment after a former house cook of their filed a complaint. 

Almost 30,000 explicit videos were allegedly made and shot by the MP which were also circulated widely in Revanna’s constituency Hassan in Karnataka.  Several of these videos, as per Hindustan Times, also recorded incidents of sexual assault. As India’s Lok Sabha elections continue, the incident has now received international media attention. Outrage has peaked on social media as this regime’s record of insensitivity on gender crimes reached a peak with this incident.

The news of the alleged crime has sent shockwaves across the nation. News reports have even reported that a 47 year old domestic worker employed by the family as a cook was sexually assaulted, and has written in her complaint at the Holenarasipur police station that the employees would always be scared of the father and son, “When I joined, six other maids would say they were scared of Prajwal. The male employees, too, would ask us to be wary of H D Revanna and his son Prajwal.” She has also claimed that her daughter too was assaulted. For reporting the assault, she has stated that her and her family’s life is under threat right now. 

Furthermore, what is shocking is that it is also reported that BJP Leader Amit Shah knew of these allegations because Karnataka BJP leader Devaraje Gowda has claimed that he wrote to the senior BJP leader that the party should not associate with the Revanna family in December 2023.   Police has thus far lodged a case against Revanna and his father on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. The Karnataka Women’s Commission has also taken note of the incident and the of commission, chief Nagalakshmi Chaudhary has written to the police chief to take action against the culprits. The commission also reportedly recommended the state government to take action after which the SIT (Special Investigation Team) has reportedly formed to investigate the case.  

The letter to Amit Shah being circulated on social media may be read here:

How did Prajwal Revanna escape to Germany?

Prajwal Revanna is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after last September when the Janata Dal (Secular) allied with the BJP. It was also reported by India Today that in June 2023, Revanna had sought a gag order against media houses to not publish sexually explicit videos of him. As of now, Revanna has reportedly left the country to Frankfurt, Germany immediately a day after voting took place in his constituency on April 27. This raises the question: how did Revanna manage to travel abroad, did he receive special assistance?

Meanwhile, in what seems to be a confirmation, Prajwal’s father H D Revanna has said that the videos are 4-5 years old, of which a ‘conspiracy’ is being made, “I know what kind of conspiracy is going on. I am not someone who’ll get scared and run away. They have released something that was 4-5 years old. Expelling him from the party is left to the party high command.” He also denied claims that Prajwal left the country due to the allegations, and said that he did not know of any FIR as he already had plans to go abroad.  

Revanna himself has so far denied allegations  and has filed a complaint claiming that the videos being circulated are doctored. But both BJP and JD(S) have distanced themselves from Revanna. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has stated that he would like to wait for all the facts to come out before taking a judgement on Prajwal, who is also his nephew. Kumaraswamy also claimed that he had nothing to do with his nephew’s swift departure from the country the minute the allegations went public. Interestingly, Kumaraswamy has also claimed that this is a “family issue”, “It’s an issue of the Revanna family, we have nothing to do with it, they are four living separately.”

He also stated, “It is not related to me. SIT probe has been ordered, officials have been put to work. If he has gone to a foreign country, getting him back is their responsibility. What should I say, if I’m asked. They (SIT) will get him, don’t worry.” 

Amit Shah, India’s union home minister has asked what the Congress was doing for many years when the incidents took place, “BJP’s stand is clear that we stand with the ‘Matr Shakti’ of the country. I want to ask Congress, whose government is there? The government is of the Congress Party. Why have they not taken any action till now? We do not have to take action on this as this is a law and order issue of the state, the state government has to take action on it. We are in favour of the investigation and our partner JD(S) has also announced to take action against it. Today there is a meeting of their core committee and steps will be taken.”

#WATCH | On ‘obscene videos’ case involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, Union HM Amit Shah says, “BJP’s stand is clear that we stand with the ‘Matr Shakti’ of the country. I want to ask Congress, whose government is there? The government is of Congress Party. Why they have not… pic.twitter.com/bAZYw7i1oi

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2024

Meanwhile, the All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba has called on CM Siddaramaiah to write to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to call on Germany to extradite Prajwal, “We need to see if the MEA will act or keep quiet.” Lamba has also claimed that when Amit Shah recently visited Mysore in March or February, senior party leaders such BJP MLA Preetham Gowda, ex-MLA A T Ramaswamy and district leaders asked the party not to let Prajwal contest. However, the candidate at Hassan was once against Prajwal. 

According to India Today, the senior leader of the JD(S) H D Kumaraswamy also said that he was confident “their” candidate would win from Hassan, “ As far as the election is concerned, we have first-hand information that our candidate will win. Everybody is saying that.”

What does this mean for the hundreds of women who suffered the assaults? Will the JD(S) will actually take any action against Revanna and suspend the accused from the party and ensure that justice is meted out to the victims legally? Or will he also be forgotten, deliberately and become another Brij Bhushan?

This is not the first time a leader associated with the NDA or the BJP has been accused of heinous sexual assault related crimes. BJP MP from Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan Singh is also somebody who has been accused of grave sexual crimes, including assaulting minors. Wrestlers protested for justice to be brought against him for almost a year however, their protests were to no avail and the courts are yet to frame charges against him either. Similarly, Kuldeep Singh Sengar who was finally convicted in 2019 for raping a 17 year old girl in 2018 was also from BJP. He is also suspected of killing her father and criminal intimidation. There was a huge public outcry against Sengar, who reportedly also tried to kill the victim and her family multiple times during the case. He was suspended by the party, who shared the news with the public in 2019 after there was mounting pressure on the party to share its stance. 

Similarly, recently The Wire reported that a BJP MLA was yet to be disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh assembly despite being served a sentence of 25 years for rape.  The MLA Ramdalur Gond was convicted in December 2023 for a case of raping of a minor that took place in 2014, yet was still continuing to serve his term as MLA.

Ankita Tiwari assaulted and murdered in Uttarakhand

The most recent and one of the most harrowing cases is from Uttarakhand, where the young and bright 19 year old Ankita Bhandari was murdered in 2022. The resort where she worked was reportedly owned by Pulkit Arya, the son of a senior RSS and former BJP leader Vinod Arya.

 The murder ignited widespread outrage, leading to protests across the state. The parents of the victim also led the protests for days, hoping to find justice for their daughter. However, what is worse is that the case saw great obstruction of justice, where Ankita’s parents were shuffled from one police station to another when they tried to file an FIR. Pulkit Arya had reportedly already informed the police about Ankita being missing earlier. What is even more alarming is that MLA of the area, Renu Bisht from the BJP bulldozed the resort after Ankita’s death.  A JCB driver told the courts that he was not just called once but twice to demolish the resort. The second time he reached, Bisht was present at the resort, giving instructions. Pulkit Arya and his two associates have reportedly confessed to the police during interrogation. 

The parents, as recently as April 2024, continue to ask for justice, including action against BJP MLA Renu Bisht for allegedly destroying evidence and also against SDM Pramod Kumar. The family has also demanded action against BJP Secretary  Ajay Kumar, who is said to be the VIP for whom Pulkit Arya reportedly tried to force Ankita to provide “special services” in exchange for money.  

Uttar Pradesh: Rapes and murders

Before that in Uttar Pradesh, first the Unnao gang rapes and killings of Dalit women and then Hathras are blots on BJP’s record. February 17, 2021 a horrific news of three Dalit girls tied up in a field and allegedly poisoned was reported from Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh. While two were found dead, one is battling for her life. The doctor has reportedly said that the girl’s survival rate is low because there seems to be considerable brain damage.

Unnao is also infamous for its 2017 gang rape of a 17-year-old minor which led to the conviction and life imprisonment of the former BJP member Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was also held responsible for the (judicial) custodial death of the survivor’s father. Her relatives met with similar fate and died in a mysterious car accident.

A 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, (2020) named four upper caste ‘Thakur’ men in her dying declaration after she was raped and strangled to death. The barbarism continued when the Uttar Pradesh Police first, delayed immediate medical attention and eventually denied that she had been raped.

In August, 2020, Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh reported the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl who was strangled and left to perish in a sugarcane field. This was followed by a 17-year-old Dalit girl who was raped and killed while returning home after filling a scholarship form at a cyber cafe. Days later, in September, a three-year-old child was raped and murdered in the fields due to family enmity with another family in the same district, which acquired a lot of media attention.  

It seems Prajwal Revanna is another name in the list of harrowing incidents and crimes associated with the party. With this list of past examples, it is crucial to see what the NDA and the respective parties will do with Prajwal Revanna and his candidature. 

Related:

Bilkis Bano gang rape convict shares stage with BJP MP, MLA: Gujarat

IIT-BHU gangrape: 3 accused arrested, at least 2 associated with BJP IT cell of Varanasi

Outrageous! BJP Mahila Morcha leader says Hindu men should gangrape Muslim women to protect India

Ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar, brother convicted in Unnao rape survivor’s father’s death

Is BJP-Ghaziabad police nexus trying to cover up minor’s rape incident?

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