Bengaluru, Jun 28 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court on Friday refused to stall the investigation against former Hassan BJP MLA Preetham Gowda, who is accused of distributing explicit videos of sexual assault allegedly involving former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
Gowda had filed a petition seeking to quash the FIR registered against him under Section 67, 66E of the Information Technology Act and Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.
A single judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit passed the interim order while issuing notice to the respondents.
However, the court said that Gowda should not be arrested or detained as long as he cooperates with the investigation.
It also said this order shall not come in the way of any material discovered by the police.
Gowda, who lost the Assembly polls in May last year, was named as an accused in the fourth FIR registered against Prajwal Revanna by a woman.
Four separate cases have been registered against Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, all of which are being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
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.