Rape accused Prajwal Revanna arrives in Bengaluru and is arrested at the airport

Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, who has been facing multiple rape allegations, was arrested at around 1.15 am on May 31, immediately after he landed at Bengaluru airport. Prajwal had fled from Bengaluru to Frankfurt in Germany on the evening of April 26, after the polls in his constituency were concluded. As there was a wanted notice for Prajwal, he was arrested by the immigration officials and handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) police officials.

On May 18, an arrest warrant was issued against Prajwal following an application by the SIT. Prajwal has sought interim bail in all three cases and is scheduled to appear in court on May 31.

A large media presence was present at Bengaluru airport to cover Prajwal’s arrival. Passengers and people waiting for their passengers also watched the proceedings with curiosity.

On May 27, Prajwal claimed that he would appear before the SIT for questioning at 10 am on May 31. He also said that he was unaware of the allegations against him when he travelled abroad. He termed it a conspiracy by the Congress to defame him and expressed his confidence of being acquitted of all the charges.

Meanwhile, in Hassan, around five thousand people took part in a rally and protest on May 30 demanding Prajwal’s arrest. The crowd, comprising representatives of various organisations, demanded that Prajwal not be granted bail.

Prajwal’s father, HD Revanna, was arrested on May 4 for kidnapping and is now out on bail. He has also been accused of sexual harassment by another woman. Revanna has contested these charges against him in the Karnataka High Court.

Prajwal is accused of raping three women, sexually assaulting another and filming the sexual acts of more than 70 women. He is said to have made nearly 3,000 videos of such acts, and some of the videos were circulated in Hassan district in the days leading up to the election for the Hassan assembly seat, for which Prajwal is seeking re-election.

A request to appear before the SIT for seven days was rejected and a wanted notice was issued to the airports.

This is an evolving story.

TNM has been reporting on this case continuously, speaking to survivors and others affected to explore the profound societal impact of the sexual abuse videos. You can find our coverage here.