Law enforcement in India detained a politician who escaped the country following allegations of sexual misconduct against multiple women.
Prajwal Revanna, who departed India on 27 April, was detained upon reaching Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) from Germany on Friday morning.
Mr Revanna refutes all accusations made against him.
The MP, who is 33 years old, is a member of the Janata Dal (Secular) party, which is in alliance with PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mr. Revanna, a member of a powerful political family, is running for re-election in the Hassan constituency in the southern state of Karnataka.
Just prior to voting in Hassan, a large number of USB sticks containing videos of the MP supposedly mistreating women were distributed in Karnataka, causing anger.
Mr Revanna chose not to provide a response to the videos, however, a representative from his office indicated that the videos had been altered.
Shortly after the voting ended in his constituency, he escaped the country.
The police have so far filed three cases of sexual assault against the MP, according to reports.
The cases are being investigated by a special police team established by Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah.
On 18 May, Mr. Revanna was issued an arrest warrant by a special court after a request from the special investigation team (SIT).
Mr. Revanna had requested anticipatory bail a few days before his arrest, however, his plea was denied by a court on Thursday.
After being gone for weeks, Mr. Revanna posted a video on 27 May stating that he will present himself to the SIT on Friday.
The video was released not long after his grandfather, ex-Indian PM HD Deve Gowda, requested his return to India to confront the inquiry.
HD Revanna’s father, as well as his uncle HD Kumaraswamy, are both powerful lawmakers in the Karnataka state assembly.
HD Revanna is facing allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation by a former family employee in a police complaint. He spent six days in custody but was released on bail last month. He has rejected the accusations as a political plot.
What Hasan MP said in his first reaction after landing in India?
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexually abusing multiple women, has been arrested following the necessary procedures, as per PTI. Further legal actions will be taken.
“Prajwal Revanna arrived in Munich, Germany, between 12:40 am and 12:50 am.” Since there was an arrest warrant out for him, SIT proceeded to apprehend him and place him in custody, and they will continue with legal proceedings later today. “I still need to talk to our officials,” mentioned Parameshwara.
G Parameshwara, the home minister of Karnataka, guaranteed complete protection to the victims involved in the Prajwal Revanna case. Inquired about whether the government will encourage more victims to step forward now that Prajwal has been arrested, Parameshwara emphasized that they have already urged those who have been harmed by him to come forward and file complaints with the SIT and police, assuring them of all necessary protection. “We must be patient and observe how things progress.”
The minister stated he was unaware of reports that Prajwal had destroyed evidence in his phone and claimed to have lost it, and had not been updated by SIT on the matter.
