BJP leader Deveraje Gowda arrested in sexual harassment case involving Prajwal Revanna

Prajwal Revanna

Deveraje Gowda, a BJP politician and advocate accused of molestation and sexual harassment, was arrested near Hiriyur in Chitradurga district on Friday night, according to police sources.

Gowda recently made headlines for his role in the alleged obscene video issue involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. He brought the issue to the BJP central leadership's attention in December, before the party joined forces with the Janata Dal (Secular), stated a report in ANI.

According to the report, the Special Investigation Team looking into the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal had summoned Deveraje Gowda for questioning.

He is scheduled to be brought to Hassan district, where a lady filed a sexual harassment complaint against him in April, for additional investigation, the news agency report added.

According to the ANI report, Gowda was charged under different provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act, including assault on a lady, sexual harassment, trespass, malicious insult, and criminal intimidation.

The complaint states that on February 4, Gowda and others physically harassed and threatened the woman at her home in the Holenarasipura town of Hassan.

On May 6, Gowda accused Karnataka's ruling Congress administration of attempting to link the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Prajwal Revanna issue. However, the Congress disregarded his charges as unfounded, the report added.

According to the report, Gowda also accused the Karnataka government of tampering with evidence and influencing the SIT inquiry, which he claimed was under its control.

Prajwal Revanna, a suspended JD(S) leader, is accused of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, together with his father, HD Revanna. A former home staff filed a complaint, prompting the SIT to conduct an investigation, the ANI report added.

The SIT apprehended HD Revanna on May 4 in a kidnapping charge relating to the obscene video case, where she is currently in judicial detention till May 14.