Mumbai: BJP leader G Devaraj Gowda, who had exposed the case of alleged sexual exploitation of several women by JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, was taken into custody late on Friday night in a sexual harassment case. Police said he was detained when he was traveling from Bengaluru towards Chitradurga. A case of sexual harassment was registered against Devaraje Gowda on the complaint of a 36-year-old woman who alleged that he molested her on the pretext of helping her sell her property.
Gowda, who contested the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections against Prajwal’s father and Holenarasipura MLA HD Revanna, is also accused of leaking videos of alleged sexual exploitation of several women by Prajwal Revanna. However, he has blamed Congress for leaking the video. Gowda had last year alerted the BJP leadership about the alleged sexual exploitation of Prajwal Revanna and asked the party not to give the Lok Sabha ticket to the JD(S) leader from Hassan. The BJP, which had entered into an alliance with JD(S) last year, however, decided to field Prajwal from Hassan. This sex scandal came to light a day after voting took place in Hassan Lok Sabha constituency on April 26. Videos started circulating in which many women were being sexually harassed. The 33-year-old politician can also be seen allegedly sexually assaulting women in some videos.
Prajwal Revanna, who is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, flew to Germany the day the video surfaced, and was later suspended by the JD(S). A Blue Corner Notice has been issued against him, asking Interpol member countries to help trace the person. Three FIRs have been registered against him including charges of rape, molestation, intimidation, blackmailing and intimidation. His father HD Revanna is currently in jail for kidnapping a woman, a mother of three children.
