Prajwal Revanna, Accused of Rape, Remanded to 6-Day SIT Custody

Prajwal Revanna has been remanded to a six-day Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody in connection with an obscene video case. The SIT had initially sought a 14-day custody for the suspended JD(S) MP. Revanna was arrested late last night at the Bengaluru airport upon his arrival in India after being incommunicado for a month amidst escalating allegations against him and his father, which had ignited a significant political controversy. During his absence, he was suspended from the party, his father was arrested and released on bail, and his grandfather, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, appealed for his return to India to cooperate with the investigation.

The Ministry of External Affairs initiated the process to revoke Revanna’s diplomatic passport, which he used to travel to Germany a day before the scandal broke. Revanna faces accusations of sexually assaulting multiple women and recording the acts.

During his police custody, Revanna’s lawyers will be permitted to meet him for one hour each morning.

The 33-year-old had contested the Lok Sabha election from Hassan, a seat he won in 2019. Revanna’s advocate claimed he was fully cooperating with the SIT investigation, making extended custody unnecessary. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that the government has been encouraging more victims to come forward without fear.

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“Prajwal Revanna landed around 12:40-12:50 am from Munich, Germany. Given the arrest warrant against him, the SIT took him into custody upon arrival, following the necessary legal procedures,” the home minister explained. He added, “He should have cooperated with the arrest. His immigration papers were cleared, and he was brought out of the airport. With his diplomatic passport, the process was expedited. After completing all due procedures, he was arrested.”

The SIT assigned an all-woman police team to arrest Revanna, sending a strong message to the rape-accused leader. As soon as he disembarked from the plane from Munich, he was met by female police officers. The arrest warrant execution was led by two IPS officers, Suman D Pennekar and Seema Latkar, and he was escorted by women police personnel throughout the procedure.