Chitradurga (Karnataka): BJP leader and advocate G. Devaraje Gowda was arrested Friday night in connection with an explicit video allegedly belonging to Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna. According to police, Devaraje Gowda was arrested at Gulihal toll gate by the Hiriyur Police in Chitradurga district for leaking the video in a pen drive.
He was arrested on a tip-off received by the Hassan Police, which wanted his presence for the case.
Several explicit videos involving Prajwal started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, which will take place on April 26.
The MP, a grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, is absconding and a ‘blue corner’ notice has been issued against him by the Interpol.
Three FIRs, including charges of rape, molestation, intimidation, blackmailing, and threatening, have been registered against Prajwal.
Devaraje Gowda is accused of leaking these videos, which he has categorically rejected. He had contested the 2023 assembly election against JD(S) MLA from Holenarasipura HD Revanna. Revanna, father of Prajwal, is at present in jail on charges of kidnapping a woman, a mother of three.
Devaraje Gowda taken to Holenarasipura in molestation and rape case
Meanwhile, BJP leader and advocate G. Devaraje Gowda, arrested for alleged molestation and rape, was on Saturday taken to Holenarasipura, where the incident had allegedly taken place, for questioning, police said. An FIR was registered against Gowda on a complaint by a 36-year-old woman from Hassan district, who alleged that he molested and raped her on the pretext of helping her sell her property.
A case of molestation was registered against Gowda on April 1. On Friday, the woman once again approached the police and alleged that she was also raped by him.
The BJP leader was arrested at the Gulihal toll gate by the Hiriyur Police in Chitradurga district late Friday night. He was arrested on a tip-off by the Hassan Police.
The Holenarasipur police arrived in Chitradurga on Saturday morning. After the legal process, the Hiriyur police handed over Devaraje Gowda to Holenarasipura police.
Gowda had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 assembly election on the BJP ticket and was defeated by JD(S) MLA and former minister HD Revanna, father of Prajwal Revanna.
He had also claimed that he alerted the BJP leadership last year about Prajwal Revanna’s alleged sexual abuse of several women, and cautioned the saffron party not to give a Lok Sabha ticket to the JD(S) MP from Hassan.
