Prajwal Revanna’s brother Suraj arrested for sexual assault | Latest news from India

On Sunday, Karnataka police arrested Suraj Revanna, a member of the legislative council of the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) and brother of suspended MP Prajwal Revanna, for allegedly sexually assaulting a party worker. The accused’s father, former minister HD Revanna, claimed it was a “conspiracy” and said he had “faith” in the judiciary.

The case was later handed over to the CID for detailed investigation. This development comes at a time when Suraj’s brother Prajwal is also in custody on charges of rape and sexual assault.

A case was registered against Suraj at Holenarasipura Rural police station in Hassan on Saturday evening after a JD(S) worker, in a complaint to the Director General of Police Office, accused the MLC of sexually harassing him at his farm in Ghannikada on June 16. The MLC denied the allegations against him and termed them politically motivated.

“Suraj was arrested. Later the same day, the Karnataka government handed over the case to the Crime Branch, after which he was taken to the agency’s Bengaluru office for investigation,” said a police official familiar with the developments, requesting anonymity.

The FIR against Suraj was filed on Saturday, a day after the complainant JD(S) worker was arrested on charges of alleged extortion. ₹5 crore from the party leader by threatening to file a ‘false’ sexual assault complaint against him.

According to Hassan Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammed Sujeetha, Suraj was booked under sections 377 (unnatural offences), 506 (criminal intimidation), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (acts done by several persons in prosecution of a common purpose) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Saturday, Suraj denied the allegations and said, “They are part of a political conspiracy. An FIR has also been filed against the complainant. The truth should come out. I trust in the law of the land.”

In his complaint, the JD(S) worker alleged that he was invited to Suraj’s farm under the pretext of discussing political development and opportunities, but was sexually assaulted instead.

“We exchanged phone numbers during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Suraj later invited me to his farmhouse in Ghannikada on June 16. Suraj touched me inappropriately and promised me political favours in exchange for my cooperation. Despite my objections, he carried out the attack and threatened me throughout the ordeal,” says the FIR, which HT has seen.

The victim also claimed that a close associate of Suraj threatened him, offered him a job and ₹2 Crore for remaining silent on this matter.

However, according to the complaint filed by Suraj’s assistant HL Shivakumar on Friday, the JD(S) worker had met the MLC six months ago and again in June while looking for a job. Suraj said that it was not possible for him to help the man get a job at present, “but it could be considered in the future,” the complaint said, adding that the man then demanded ₹5 crore from Suraj and threatened to accuse the MLC of sexual harassment if the money was not paid.

Suraj’s father HD Revanna termed the allegations against his eldest son a “conspiracy” and said he had faith in God and the judiciary. “I will not react to anything. Let the (CID) investigate. Who said we should not (investigate)? I will not say anything about it. I have respect for the judiciary. I know what is going on in the state… I am not afraid of such conspiracies. I know what it is, time will tell,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.

When asked who had instigated the conspiracy, Revanna said, “I don’t know, you (the media) have to say – who, what. I leave it to you… You will deal with it, the judiciary is there. Suraj has gone (to the police), everyone knows what has happened in the last few days.”

Regarding Suraj’s complaint, he said, “I don’t know what it is. The time will come and when the time comes, I will tell everything.”

However, state Home Minister G Parameshwara dismissed the allegation of a “conspiracy”. “There is no conspiracy. There was a complaint filed by an individual and on that basis Suraj Revanna was summoned. They investigated and found that there might be some truth in it. When the police file a complaint, they examine the evidence and most probably they have found evidence and that is why they have taken him into custody… I don’t see any conspiracy theory. I don’t see any political angle in it,” he said.

Suraj’s arrest came days after his younger brother and former JD(S) MP Prajwal was remanded in custody by a special court in Bengaluru on charges of sexually harassing several women.

In the week before the Lok Sabha elections in Hassan, USB sticks containing videos of alleged sexual acts by Prajwal with several women were circulated, immediately triggering allegations of mass sexual abuse. Preliminary investigations suggested that most of these videos, dating back to 2019, were shot on a mobile phone at the Revanna family residences in Bengaluru and Hassan. Several of them suggest rape and violence.

On May 1, an FIR was filed against Prajwal and his father HD Revanna in the case based on a complaint by a 47-year-old woman who worked at their house in Holenarasipura and alleged abuse between 2019 and 2022. Prajwal was arrested on May 31, soon after he returned from Germany.