Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, has fled the country after the Karnataka government’s decision to investigate his connection with the "obscene videos" case, according to sources.
Sources indicate that Prajwal Revanna left for Frankfurt from Bengaluru.
The videos had gone viral on social media just two days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, on April 26.
The government’s decision to form a special investigation team to probe into the matter was announced by the Chief Minister's Office on April 27 following reports of obscene video clips circulating in Hassan district, accompanied by allegations of sexual violence against women.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) has called for an emergency press meeting at 11 am at the party headquarters.
Poornachandra Tejaswi MG, the election agent for both the JD (S) and the BJP, lodged an FIR alleging that Naveen Gowda and several others circulated purported videos aimed at defaming Revanna.
The FIR stated, “Naveen Gowda and others morphed videos and images and circulated them to the voters in the Hassan Lok Sabha segment through pen drives, CDs and WhatsApp to put Prajwal Revanna in bad light. They are asking the people not to vote for him.”
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also tweeted that the government has decided to form a special investigation team. He said, “Obscene video clips are circulating in Hassan district, where it appears that women have been sexually assaulted. In this background, the Chairperson of the Women's Commission had written a letter to the government to conduct an SIT investigation. This decision has been taken in response to their request.”