Pramesh S Jain & Dr.Thomas (Sub-Editor)
S
uspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has been sent to a six-day police custody, till June 6, in the obscene video tapes case on Friday.
The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K N Shivakumat heard the remand application and objection argument from Revanna’s advocate and remanded him to police custody.
Suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna arrived at the Bengaluru airport on Thursday night,and was taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) shortly after his arrival.
The airport security handed over Revanna to the SIT, after which he was taken to the CID office in Bengaluru.
Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna is facing allegations of sexual assault and criminal intimidation by a woman who used to work in his residence.
Earlier in the month, his father HD Revanna was arrested on sexual assault and kidnapping charges in a case linked to the Hassan MP.
He returned to India from Berlin,Germany,nearly a month after leaving the country on a diplomatic passport and was immediately taken into custody.
Upon his arrival in India,the SIT team confiscated two of his check-in baggage.Security was stepped up outside the CID office in Bengaluru,and barricades were put outside the office ahead of Revanna’s arrival.
Revanna is facing a probe by the SIT over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in his household.
He is also facing two other sexual assault complaints, in connection to a string of obscene videos leaked on the internet,allegedly showing the MP assaulting women on camera.
Prajwal Revanna landed around 12.40-12:50 am from Germany’s Munich.As there was an arrest warrant against him,SIT accordingly arrested him and took him into custody and further legal procedures they will follow today,”the home minister said, adding, “naturally he should have cooperated to the arrest.
His immigration papers were cleared and he was brought out (of airport).
As he had a diplomatic passport,things happened easily.After completing all the due process,he was arrested.
The SIT deputed an all-woman police team to arrest Prajwal which was seen as a strong message to the rape-accused leader.
Soon after he came out from the plane from Munich, he was received by women cops.During the procedure of executing the arrest warrant,he was flanked by the women police personnel who were led by two IPS officers,Suman D Pennekar and Seema Latkar.
From the airport,Prajwal was then taken in a jeep in which only women police were present.They took him to the CID office. ”
It was a conscious call to send women officers to arrest Prajwal, sending home a message that the JD(S) leader exploited his seat and power as an MP with women.
The same women have authority to arrest him through all legal proceedings,”a source in the SIT said.
There was also a symbolic message to the alleged victims that women officers were not afraid of anyone, the source added.
Prajwal was later taken for medical examination under tight security where he was escorted by women cops. The SIT is also contemplating a potency test on Prajwal to ascertain if a rape accused is capable of committing sexual assault on victims.
