Prajwal Revanna arrested by SIT in sexual abuse case upon landing at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: After evading arrest for over a month, JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna was finally arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the Hassan sexual abuse case in the early hours of Friday.

Prajwal flew in business class on a Lufthansa flight (LH746) from Munich, which departed at 3.58pm IST on Thursday and landed at Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport at 12.53am on Friday.

The immigration authorities arrested him on arrival and handed him over to the SIT.

Wearing a grey hoodie, cream-coloured tracksuit bottoms and white sneakers, Prajwal was escorted out of the airport by police officials at around 1.10am. Another police team confiscated two of his checked bags and took them away in a separate car.

Police placed decoys at various entrances and barricaded the main entrance. Curious onlookers gathered as the MP left the airport.

Bengaluru City Police has made extensive security arrangements at the airport. A nine-member SIT team was assisted by a group of police personnel led by DCP (Northeast) and three KSRP platoons were deployed at the airport.

Prajwal has been taken to the SIT office in Bengaluru for preliminary questioning.

Well-informed sources told DH that Prajwal will remain in the SIT’s custody till Friday morning, undergo a medical examination and then be produced before a magistrate. The SIT plans to seek the court’s permission to question him over several days about the leaked videos, the people involved and the motive behind the sexual assault.

Prajwal is accused in at least three FIRs. He is accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting another. He is suspected of filming the acts on his mobile phone. He fled India soon after the incriminating videos were released. They were leaked on USB sticks and caused a political scandal in southern Karnataka during the April 26 Lok Sabha elections.

An SIT was set up to investigate the allegations, which led to the issuance of an wanted circular and an Interpol Blue Corner Notice against him. On May 18, a Bengaluru court issued an arrest warrant.

Amid mounting public pressure, JD(S) party leader and Prajwal’s grandfather HD Deve Gowda urged him to return to India and face the law. On May 27, Prajwal released a video message pledging to return on May 31 and cooperate with the SIT.

Home Minister G Parameshwara had earlier stated that Prajwal would be arrested upon his arrival at the airport.

What cases are there against Prajwal Revanna?

First case: Registered at Holenarasipura police station in Hassan on April 28. Prajwal is accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former domestic worker. His father, Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna, is named as accused number 1.

Second case: The case was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on May 1 after a 44-year-old member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat alleged that Prajwal had repeatedly raped her.

Third case: Registered with the Cybercrime police station in Bengaluru on May 8. A woman in her 60s claimed that Prajwal raped her and his father HD Revanna planned her abduction.