.jpg "Prajwal Revanna")
Infuriating details of sex crimes committed by suspened Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Lok Sabha MP Prajwal Revanna were revealed after the Special Investigative Team (SIT) submitted the charge sheet against him before the Special Court of Electoral Representatives.
The grandson of JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda and son of party MLA HD Revanna, Prajwal Revanna is facing charges of rape and sexual harassment in multiple cases. The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26. The JD(S) suspended him from the party following the cases filed against him.
According to the 1,632-page chargesheet filed by the SIT, Prajwal used his mobile phone to ensure his victims fell in line and always followed his commands. He repeatedly demanded sexual favours from these women, including maids hired by his family, and used videos of him sexually harassing them in the past as a medium of blackmail. He often recorded him sexually abusing many of the survivors with the sole intention of threatening them at his will, the SIT found out.
Among his victims was a housemaid of the Revanna residence who was mentioned as witness number 1 in the charge sheet, news reports said. The woman told the probe team that Prajwal Revanna sexually harassed her daughter as well, The South First said in a report.
The woman claimed that Prajwal video called her married daughter and asked her to undress before the camera. The mother and daughter were living together when the incident happened. When the horrified daughter of the witness refused to do as told, the former Hassan MP threatened to tell her husband that she was in a relationship with him, the report quoted the charge sheet as saying.
The witness said her daughter finally budged and undressed before the camera, which was recorded by Prajwal Revanna. The SIT found out that these nude visuals of the witness's daughter were later leaked online by him, the news report said.
SIT claims Prajwal Revanna destroyed his phone on purpose
Without the consent of the survivors, Revanna often recorded their videos and private pictures. The mobile phone used by the former MP during the 2019-20 period was the device used to film as well as store all such acts. Thus, he intentionally destroyed it when he understood things were starting to get out of hand, the investigation team claimed.
“...he fled abroad and destroyed the mobile evidence on purpose. This has been proved during the probe. Hence, he has booked under various sections of the IPC and IT act,” the charge sheet alleged.
Prajwal Revanna has been charged under multiple sections of the IPC and the Information Technology (IT) Act. He has been booked IPC’s section 376(2)(k) — rape by a person in a position of control or dominance over a woman, Section 354(A) — sexual harassment, Section 354(B) — assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe a woman, Section 354(C) — voyeurism, Section 506 — criminal intimidation and Section 376(2) — repeated rape of the same woman, among others.
