Mounting pressure on the central government to bring back Prajwal Revanna, the suspended JDS MP who has been absconding since April 27, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the cancellation of Prajwal’s diplomatic passport.
The Hassan MP allegedly fled the country after a sex scandal broke out where several women accused him of sexual assault. The Karnataka government set up an SIT to investigate the case, but has been requesting the Centre to intervene to help bring back Prajwal, who is apparently in Europe and has not been cooperating with the police.
The latest letter by Siddaramaiah has sought an immediate escalation of the Prajwal Revanna case and urged the Prime Minister to treat the matter with “utmost seriousness and take prompt and necessary actions to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna, under Section 10(3)(h) of the Passport Act, 1967, or under any other relevant law, and secure his return to the country in the interest of the public.” The CM said that the incidents surrounding Prajwal have not only shocked the conscience of the people of Karnataka but also caused nationwide concern.
ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಮೇಲಿನ ದೌರ್ಜನ್ಯ, ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರದಂತಹ ಗಂಭೀರ ಸ್ವರೂಪದ ಆರೋಪ ಎದುರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಂಸದ ಪ್ರಜ್ವಲ್ ರೇವಣ್ಣ ಅವರು ವಿದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ತಲೆಮರೆಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದು, ಅವರ ರಾಜತಾಂತ್ರಿಕ ಪಾಸ್ಪೋರ್ಟ್ ಅನ್ನು ರದ್ದುಪಡಿಸಿ, ಕಾನೂನಿನಡಿ ವಿಚಾರಣೆ ಎದುರಿಸಲು ಎಸ್ಐಟಿ ಗೆ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ನೆರವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರಿಗೆ ಪತ್ರದ ಮೂಲಕ… pic.twitter.com/XWlXObDSxx— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 23, 2024
In his letter to the Centre, Siddaramaiah called it “shameful” that Prajwal, the grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, who is a Member of Parliament from Hassan, seeking re-election for a second time from the seat, had “fled on a diplomatic passport bearing the number D1135500 shortly after the news of his heinous crimes emerged and just a few hours before the first FIR was filed against him.” The letter stated that Prajwal had clearly misused his diplomatic privileges to flee the country and escape from the clutches of the law.
CM Siddaramaiah had written the first letter to PM Modi on May 1, requesting him to take necessary steps through the Ministry of External Affairs so that the Hassan MP can be brought back to Bengaluru and be part of the SIT probe into the alleged sex videos.
The Ministry of External Affairs had on May 2, in a media interaction, stated that Prajwal had left the country but “no political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany. Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany.” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the ministry “has not issued any visa note for any other country for the said MP” and added, “Yes, he travelled on a diplomatic passport.”
The Karnataka Chief Minister wrote in his first letter dated May 1, “While the SIT is working round the clock to investigate the allegations of crimes against several women by Prajwal Revanna, getting him back to the country is of utmost importance so that he faces investigation and trial as per the law of the land and request such other steps using diplomatic and police channels of the government of India as well as International Police agencies to ensure the swift return of the absconding Member of Parliament to face the full force of law.”
Sources in the CMO told News18 that the Karnataka government received no response from the Centre on the first letter and was forced to write a second one to hasten the process and also press upon the importance of the case.
“The only communication we have received is that the MEA has acknowledged receiving our CM’s letter,” confirmed a senior official from the CMO on the second letter written by Siddaramaiah.
It has been 26 days since the SIT was set up, but the investigating team seems to have hit a wall as they await more victims to step forward and record their statements. They also hope for cooperation from the central agencies to bring back Prajwal to India to participate in the questioning in the case. An arrest warrant has been issued against Prajwal, and an Interpol blue corner notice has also been issued in his name, but the leader is yet to return to India to cooperate with the investigation. In an earlier communication through his advocate Arun G, it was stated that he (Prajwal Revanna) was not in India, and the same had been informed to the police after the notice was served to him.
“My client has said he needs seven days’ time to come to Bengaluru and appear before the investigators. I request you to provide seven days’ time and grant another date for him to appear for questioning,” said the lawyer’s letter dated May 1. Three weeks later, Prajwal is yet to return to India. His last known whereabouts were said to be Munich, Germany where he had booked himself a holiday after his seat Hassan went to polls on April 26.
Siddaramaiah’s two-page letter further said, “The SIT is investigating the alleged crimes of Prajwal Revanna against women and is making efforts to secure the presence of the accused to face the criminal charges. It is a matter of serious concern that the accused Prajwal Revanna has managed to remain in hiding to this day despite the issue of a Look Out Circular, a blue corner notice, and two notices by the Investigating Officer.”
The Karnataka Chief Minister also pointed out that it was “disheartening that my previous letter raising similar concerns on the issue has not, to the best of my knowledge, been acted upon despite the gravity of the situation. Therefore, I urge you to kindly consider this matter with utmost seriousness and take prompt and necessary actions to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna.”
Siddaramaiah has been in attack mode with the Centre on the Prajwal Revanna case and had also accused the Central government of protecting the MP.
In an earlier statement made in Bagalkote on May 3, Siddaramaiah had said that “no person can leave the country without the knowledge of the central government.” “We will bring him back from whichever country he (Prajwal) is in. He must come to the country and face the investigating agencies,” the CM had said earlier.
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