Deve Gowda’s son held in kidnap case linked to sex scandal

BENGALURU/MYSURU: Karnataka JD(S) MLA

HD Revanna

, son of former PM HD

Deve Gowda

, was arrested Saturday by state govt-appointed SIT on charges of abducting a

rape survivor

in the sex video scandal, minutes after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru.
Revanna was picked up from Deve Gowda’s residence in Padmanabhanagar around 6.45pm.

Initially, the police team was refused entry and had to wait for 20-25 minutes before a “smiling Revanna opened the door and walked out”, a police source said.
Revanna, who had first come under the scanner along with his son and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna following sexual harassment charges made against them, found himself in a tight spot after the rape survivor’s son lodged a police complaint on May 2 that she had been abducted on the night of April 29.
Hours before the court denied bail to Revanna, the survivor was rescued from a farmhouse in Kalenahalli near Hunsur taluk of Mysuru. Police sources said the property belongs to Revanna’s personal assistant. The survivor was then brought to Bengaluru.

The 47-year-old woman from Holenarsipura town had lodged a police complaint against Revanna and rajwal on April 28, accusing them of sexually harassing her and her daughter when they worked in the household between 2019 and 2022. She quit the job to work as a daily-wage labourer.
The Holenarasipura Town police have registered a case against the father-son duo, charging them with sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, among other IPC sections.

Prajwal, who is alleged to have fled to Europe on a diplomatic passport after the issue started snowballing into a scandal, is yet to return to India. State govt has requested the Centre to issue an Interpol blue corner notice against him.
In his complaint, the survivor’s son alleged that she had been abducted from their house by a man called Satish Babu alias Babanna at Revanna’s behest to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal. Revanna’s advocate claimed that except for the reference in the statement of accused No. 2 (Satish Babu) that he had been sent by Revanna, there is no other material against the MLA in the FIR. However, special court for elected representatives judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat was not convinced and rejected the bail plea.
As part of the ongoing probe, earlier in the day, SIT brought another survivor for spot mahazar (identification) at the Holenarasipura residence of Revanna. His supporters gathered in large numbers and shouted slogans against Congress govt in the state.