Prajwal Revvanna’s driver who leaked sex tapes goes missing
Mangalore Today News Network
Hassan, May 2, 2024: The alleged ‘sex scandal’ involving the Janata Dal (Secular)’s Hassan candidate in Karnataka just got murkier with the reported disappearance of the whistleblower who blew the lid off the purported sexual harassment of multiple women at the hands of Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Devegowda.
According to an NDTV report, Prajwal’s former driver, who admitted to having passed on a flash drive containing videos of the JD(S) leader sexually abusing women, to BJP leader Devaraje Gowda, has disappeared following an SIT notice.
The driver Karthik was associated with the JD(S) leader for 13 years before his fallout over an alleged land deal that went sour.
Meanwhile, Karthik’s disappearance has set off another storm in Karnataka’s charged political circles with the JD(S) and Congress trading charges against each other over the development.
Former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said influential leaders were behind Karthik’s alleged vanishing act, suggesting the involvement of Congress leader and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
Shivakumar, on the other hand, sought to shift the blame upon Kumaraswamy, stating that Kumaraswamy, whose JD(S) is in alliance with the BJP, has access to information from the central government and is thus aware of the former driver’s whereabouts.
The Prajwal Revanna episode in the thick of elections has taken political circles in Karnataka by storm. Prajwal, who fled to Germany following the controversy, was suspended by the JD(S) on Tuesday pending the SIT investigation.
Prajwal, who was summoned by the SIT probing the case within 24 hours on Wednesday, is yet to return to India. His request seeking time for his appearance has also been rejected by the SIT. As per media reports, Prajwal is set to land in India around midnight on May 15.
The Karnataka government ordered the formation of an SIT to probe a series of obscene videos circulating in the Hassan district of Karnataka. These videos allegedly involve Prajwal with some depicting acts of sexual assault. Prajwal fled the country after his constituency went to polling on April 26.
On Tuesday, Karthik denied sharing the pen drive with the alleged obscene videos involving Prajwal with Congress leaders. He said he had shared it with BJP leader Devaraje Gowda.
“Devaraje Gowda told me to hand over the photos and videos which he promised to hand over to the judge to help vacate the stay that Prajwal Revanna had brought to prevent him from releasing them. Trusting him, I gave him a copy,” he said.
Congress party leaders have accused the BJP of helping Prajwal flee the country. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has slammed the Congress party for not taking any action even when there is Congress government in the state.
The father-son duo of Prajwal and HD Revanna was booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual abuse), 354D (stalking), 506 (threat) and 509 (insult caused to the modesty of a woman).