Bangalore. Suspended Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment, has booked a flight ticket from Munich to Bengaluru on May 30 and is expected to reach here late night on the same day. Earlier on Wednesday, a local special court (elected representative) rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The police are on full alert to serve the arrest warrant against the JDS leader as soon as he reaches the airport. According to sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Prajwal, grandson of JDS supremo and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda, is expected to reach here late night on Thursday.
An official said, “Revanna has booked a ticket from Munich to Bengaluru with Lufthansa Airlines. This flight will depart from Munich on Thursday afternoon and will reach Bengaluru at 12:05 the same night.” He said that the SIT is constantly monitoring the Kempegowda airport here to arrest Revanna as soon as he reaches Bengaluru.
Revanna, who is seeking re-election as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, fled abroad soon after reports emerged that the Karnataka State Women’s Commission had asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order an inquiry into objectionable videos in which he (Revanna) was allegedly sexually exploiting several women. Police sources said so far three cases of sexual exploitation have been registered against Revanna. The Hassan MP had released a video message two days ago in which he promised to appear before the SIT on May 31 and cooperate in the investigation. Sources said Revanna had earlier cancelled his flight tickets from Germany twice.
Meanwhile, the SIT conducted searches at Revanna’s residence in the district headquarters of Hassan on Tuesday which continued till late night.
He said, “Some prosecutable material has been seized.” In a last ditch effort to avoid arrest, the Hassan MP had filed an anticipatory bail application in the Special Court (Elected Representative) through his lawyer. A special court had issued an arrest warrant against Prajwal on May 18 on the application of the SIT (Special Investigation Team). Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has said that Prajwal will be arrested as soon as he reaches the airport here.
“All necessary measures have to be taken as a warrant has been issued against him. He has to be arrested. The SIT is waiting, it will arrest him and record his statement and its (SIT) process will begin,” he told reporters here. When asked if Prajwal would be arrested as soon as he lands at the airport, he said, “It (arrest) has to be done there (at the airport) as a warrant has been issued.” The SIT had arrested Prajwal’s father and JD(S) MLA HD Revanna, who was allegedly involved in the woman’s abduction. He is currently out on bail.
Meanwhile, Prajwal’s mother Bhavani Revanna has filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Special (Elected Representative) Court fearing arrest in the kidnapping case involving her husband. The SIT has opposed granting her anticipatory bail. It has also demanded cancellation of interim anticipatory bail granted to HD Revanna in the same case. The order on Bhavani Revanna’s anticipatory bail plea has been reserved for May 31. When asked about the arrest of two people in connection with distributing pen drives, the Home Minister said that whoever is involved in this case will be arrested, irrespective of which party he belongs to. He said, “11-12 people have been arrested in this case.”