Rape accused Prajwal Revanna arrested at Bengaluru airport after his return from Germany

Suspended JD(S) leader, Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexually assaulting several women, was arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as he arrived from Germany just after midnight.

Revanna has been taken to the CID office for interrogation. He had left the country in April after video clips allegedly showing him sexually abusing women began circulating in Karnataka’s Hassan, from where he had won the last Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, Revanna had filed for an anticipatory bail which was rejected by a special court in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the police have searched his Hassan home and seized "incriminating material".

Shortly before his return to India, Revanna on May 27 had released a video statement where he had said that he will appear before the SIT on May 31 while hinting at the allegations saying he is being framed.

Previously, his grandfather and Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, had warned him to return to India and surrender, or “face your family's anger...”

Revanna, who is also the nephew of ex-Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had given similar warnings.

The 33-year-old, was re-nominated for the 2024 election with support from the JDS' new ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, after the allegations were made against Revanna, the BJP distanced itself from the whole issue. Its state unit chief, S Prakash, said, “We, as a party, have nothing to do with the videos and neither do we have any comments to make...”

Close to 3000 obscene videos emerged in April, allegedly showing Revanna sexually abusing several women. The videos were circulated days before Hassan constituency in Karnataka voted during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

On April 27, a day after voting in Hassan, Revanna boarded a flight to Munich using his diplomatic passport. 

His father, HD Revanna, former MLA and Public Works Department Minister is also facing charges for allegedly kidnapping a woman who said she had been raped by both men. He was given bail in the kidnapping case on May 14 and the sexual assault case last week.

Three cases have been filed against Prajwal Revanna, with the first one being filed on April 28 in Hassan in which a 47-year-old former maid has alleged sexual assault and exploitation. HD Revanna was arrested in connection with this case as the primary accused, and rape charges were added against his son after an additional statement from the woman. 

The second case was registered on May 1 by a 44-year-old woman - who may be a JDS worker, who accused Prajwal of raping her multiple times, including at least once at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, the third case was filed on May 3 by a 60-year-old woman who has accused Prajwal Revanna of rape.