BJP man who ‘released’ Prajwal’s sex tape held

Chitradurga (Karnataka), May 11

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BJP leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda was arrested in connection with the release of an explicit sex video allegedly involving Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

According to the police, Devaraje was arrested at Gulihal tollgate by the Hiriyur police in this district on Friday night for allegedly leaking the video in a pen drive. He was arrested on a tip-off received by the Hassan police, which wanted his presence for the case.

Several explicit videos involving Prajwal started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, which took place on April 26. The MP, a grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is absconding and a ‘blue corner’ notice has been issued against him by Interpol.

Three FIRs, including charges of rape, molestation, intimidation, blackmailing and threatening, have been registered against Prajwal. Devaraje is accused of leaking these videos, which he has categorically rejected. He contested in the 2023 Assembly elections against JD(S) MLA from Holenarasipura HD Revanna. Prajwal’s father HD Revanna is at present in jail on charges of kidnapping a woman, a mother of three.

Devaraje had reportedly claimed that he alerted the BJP leadership last year about Prajwal Revanna’s alleged sexual abuse of several women, and cautioned the saffron party not to give a Lok Sabha ticket to the JD(S) MP from Hassan.

An FIR was also registered against Devaraje on a complaint by a 36-year-old woman from Hassan district, who alleged that he molested and raped her on the pretext of helping her sell her property

Earlier on Saturday, Devaraje was taken to Holenarasipura in Hassan district, where the incident had allegedly taken place, for questioning, police said.

A case of molestation was registered against Devaraje on April 1. On Friday, the woman complainant once again approached the police and alleged that she was also raped by him, a police officer said. He was produced before a Magistrate, who remanded him to 14 days’ judicial custody. — PTI

Jairam: Cancel MP’s diplomatic passport

• Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked govt what was stopping it from cancelling diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna
• Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after Karnataka State Commission for Women sought probe into charges against him
• Scores of explicit videos and pictures had gone viral. In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape