'Obscene video' case: Fresh lookout notice issued against JD(S)' Revanna, his son Prajwal

BENGALURU: Amid the investigation into the alleged 'obscene video' case, Karnataka Home Minister Gangadharaiah Parameshwara said on Saturday that a second lookout notice has been issued against both JD(S) MLA HD Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna.

"We have issued lookout notices against both HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna. We had issued a lookout notice to HD Revanna as he may plan to go abroad. But the second notice was given yesterday. They have time until this evening to reply to the notices..." Karnataka Home Minister said while speaking to the media on Saturday.

"Revanna has also applied for bail for the Mysore kidnapping case as well. One person has been arrested in the case," he added.

The first lookout notice was issued against HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna after they sought time to appear before the investigation team.

The Karnataka Home Minister had on Thursday told the media that about the lookout notice issued against the father-son duo in the case.

Meanwhile, HD Revanna has been booked on charge of kidnapping in connection with the 'obscene video' case. The action was taken based on a complaint lodged by the son of a woman who was allegedly "abducted and sexually abused."

In his complaint filed to KR Nagar police in Mysuru, the man said his mother worked as a housemaid at HD Revanna's home for six years before returning to her village, where she worked as a daily wage labourer.

The man later discovered a video allegedly depicting sexual abuse of his mother by incumbent MP and Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna. He said that soon after the video was revealed, his mother went missing.

He then filed a kidnapping complaint against HD Revanna and Babanna on Thursday night.

The Holenarsipura MLA and his associate were booked under Sections 364A (kidnapping for ransom), 365 (kidnapping with intent to cause harm), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. The FIR, registered by KR Nagar police, also lists HD Revanna as accused number one and another man, identified as Babanna, as accused number two.

The FIR was registered hours before the anticipatory bail plea of HD Revanna came up for hearing in the Special Court for People's Representatives in Bengaluru on Friday. He skipped the summons to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 2 for questioning.

HD Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna, who is the sitting MP and candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household.

Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 based on a complaint lodged with Holenarasipura Town police. The case was registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father, HD Revanna, had sexually assaulted her.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Prajwal Revanna had travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and that no political clearance was either sought from or issued by the MEA regarding his travel. Addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Ministry did not issue any visa note for Prajwal to visit any other country.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union government to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal and ensure his return by making use of diplomatic and police channels.