Sex tapes row: Prajwal Revanna sought gag order in 2023, Amit Shah got heads-up

3 weeks ago 15

In June 2023, Prajwal Revanna dragged media outlets to court seeking a gag order to prevent the dissemination of what he termed as "fake news" and "morphed photographs and videos."

Prajwal Revanna (file photo)

Bengaluru,UPDATED: Apr 30, 2024 12:13 IST

In Short

Prajwal Revanna took legal action last year to prevent sex tapes' circulation
BJP leader wrote to Amit Shah, warning him about Prajwal Revanna
JD(S) may suspend Prajwal Revanna over abuse allegations

The fallout from the sex tapes allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka, has set off a political firestorm that has engulfed allies BJP and JD(S) as well as the ruling Congress.

It has now emerged that Prajwal Revanna took legal action against media outlets and private individuals last year to prevent further spread of hundreds of videos, allegedly depicting him engaging in sexual abuse of hundreds of women.

All eyes are on the JD(S) as it is set to take a call on suspending Prajwal Revanna over allegations of sexual abuse. Police have registered a case against Prajwal and his father, HD Revanna, based on a complaint from a woman who worked in their household.

In June 2023, Prajwal Revanna moved a Bengaluru civil court against 86 media outlets and three individuals, seeking a gag order to halt the spread of what he claims are "fake news" and doctored videos. He was granted an injunction on June 2, 2023, citing the threat posed by further dissemination of these "morphed" photos and videos.
Karnataka BJP leader Devaraje Gowda wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah in December 2023, raising concerns about the allegations against Prajwal Revanna. Gowda warned that the controversy could be used by the Congress party as an election ploy, potentially damaging the BJP.
"HD Revanna and his family have indulged themselves in illegal activities such as kidnapping, rape and other inhuman activities... The Congress party will definitely make use of these videos as a trump card in the election and we cannot imagine the damage and impact," he wrote.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that if Prajwal Revanna has fled the country, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be responsible for bringing him back and continuing the investigation.
The Karnataka government has formed an SIT to investigate the allegations against Revanna. The team, bolstered with additional staff, is focused on examining the alleged video evidence and sexual assault claims.
On Sunday, police lodged a case against Prajwal Revanna and his father, JD(S) MLA and former minister HD Revanna, on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. In response to the accusations, HD Revanna stated that they are open to investigation and will comply with legal procedures.
Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said the party was not shielding Revanna and would take appropriate action against him.
"We are not going to protect him, we will take severe action but the government's responsibility is more. Not only as an uncle but as a common man of the country we have to move further,” Kumaraswamy said. “This is a shameful issue, I am not protecting any person. We have fought against these kinds of illegal things. This is a serious issue. Who is running the government, they have to expose the real picture and the ground reality has to be exposed by the government and not me."