Prajwal Revanna sex abuse case: Sack D K Shivakumar for his 'role ...
Prajwal Revanna who has been suspended from the JD(S) amid allegations over sex abuse case. (PTI Photo)
The political row over the alleged sexual abuse videos of MP Prajwal Revanna intensified further on Tuesday as JD(S) Karnataka chief H D Kumaraswamy demanded Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar be sacked, blaming him for the release of the tapes that he said defamed several women.
Kumaraswamy also accused officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the sexual abuse cases against the absconding Hassan MP, of working like agents of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. “SIT is the Siddaramaiah Investigation Team and Shivakumar Investigation Team,” he said.
The JD(S) leader demanded that the case should be handed over to the CBI to probe all aspects, such as monetary transactions that allegedly took place over the release of videos, attempts to “lure people into filing complaints”, and whether party legislator H D Revanna, Prajwal’s father and his brother, was involved in the kidnapping of one of the MP’s alleged victims.
“The entire issue was due to a conspiracy hatched by D K Shivakumar. He must be suspended from the cabinet. If the CM (Siddaramaiah) has any morality, he must suspend him from the cabinet,” Kumaraswamy told a news conference.
The former chief minister also alleged that Shivakumar had a role in the release of a sleaze video allegedly involving former BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. “If we look at the history of D K Shivakumar, he is an expert at this,” he added.
He sought to know why BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda was called twice by the SIT “unofficially” and why an official had asked Devaraje Gowda to strike off a paragraph highlighting Shivakumar’s alleged role in leaking the videos. “Why is the SIT planning to file a case saying Devaraje Gowda released the pen drive? What did Shivakumar tell Devaraje Gowda?” he asked.
Devaraje Gowda, a lawyer, was among the first to get a copy of the videos from his client, Karthik, a former driver of Prajwal Revanna. On Monday, he alleged the Congress government was trying to fix him in the case.
Despite the JD(S) filing a case at the Hassan police station on April 21 against four individuals — Naveen Gowda, Karthik Gowda, Chetan and Putti alias Puttaraju — who allegedly leaked the video on social media platforms, the SIT is yet to question them, Kumaraswamy said. “The complaint was filed 15 days ago. Till now there is no action against them,” he said.
Sharing an audio clip of a purported conversation between Naveen Gowda and an unknown individual, Kumaraswamy said the same individual had posted online about “releasing” the sex abuse videos. The police are yet to track down Karthik.
Kumaraswamy also accused the Congress of misusing the issue for “publicity to assume power in Delhi”. “Knowing that their assurances won’t work, they are using this,” he said, adding that all who are guilty in the case should be punished.
The SIT is investigating three cases of sexual assault filed against Prajwal Revanna. His father H D Revanna was arrested on May 5 in the kidnapping case.
