Devaraje Gowda, a BJP leader, was taken into custody on Friday evening for his alleged involvement in the distribution of an explicit video allegedly featuring Prajwal Revanna, a suspended JD(S) leader.
As per law enforcement reports, Devaraje Gowda, a legal professional, was apprehended for supposedly disseminating the controversial video. He was intercepted at the Gulihal toll plaza in the Chitradurga district following a lead from the Hassan Police, who required his attendance for the investigation.
The contentious video is one among numerous clips allegedly featuring Prajwal, who departed for Germany on April 26, just hours after the conclusion of polling in Hassan for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Prajwal, a 33-year-old politician, is the incumbent Lok Sabha representative from Hassan and is contesting the seat once more. His lineage includes former Indian Prime Minister and JD(S) stalwart, HD Deve Gowda, his grandfather, while his uncle, HD Kumaraswamy, is a former Chief Minister of Karnataka. His father, HD Revanna, is a JD(S) MLA.
The JD(S), led by Deve Gowda, has formed a coalition with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. As per the seat-sharing agreement, the JD(S) was allocated three out of the state's 28 parliamentary constituencies – Hassan, Kolar, Mandya – with the remaining 25 going to the BJP.
Devaraje Gowda, the detained BJP leader, had previously asserted that he had alerted the party's state leadership about the videos several months before they eventually emerged. However, BY Vijayendra, the chief of Karnataka BJP, refuted having any prior knowledge about the videos.
Devaraje Gowda is facing accusations of disseminating the videos, an allegation he has firmly denied.
The case involving Prajwal Revanna is currently under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police. He has been implicated in three FIRs, with charges ranging from rape and molestation to intimidation, blackmail, and issuing threats.
The incumbent Congress party has consistently criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly permitting Prajwal to exit India, and have questioned their decision to proceed with the JD(S) alliance despite purportedly being cognizant of Prajwal's alleged misconduct.
