Karnataka JD(S) MLA and former Minister H D Revanna, who faces kidnapping charges, was remanded to judicial custody until May 14 by a Magisterial court in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Furthermore, his bail petition before a sessions court has been scheduled for Thursday.
Police Custody
Following the conclusion of four days of police custody, the 66-year-old Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, appeared before an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. The court remanded him to judicial custody for seven days until May 14.
Revanna had been under the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) since his arrest in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a woman, as per a complaint filed by her son, who also accused the MLA’s son and MP Prajwal Revanna of sexual assault. The police subsequently rescued the woman.
Allegations
The sexual abuse allegations involving Prajwal sparked a political controversy, with the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) engaged in a heated debate.
While the Congress government established an SIT to investigate the cases, the BJP and JD(S) — NDA partners — have demanded that the investigation be handed over to the CBI.
Explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal surfaced ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 26.
The Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women, Dr. Nagalakshmi Chaudhary, wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state police chief Alok Mohan, requesting an investigation into the videos circulating in Hassan. Subsequently, the Congress government formed the SIT on April 28 to probe the case.
Prajwal, who contested as the NDA candidate in the polls from Hassan, reportedly left the country on April 27, the day after the polls. He has ignored summons issued by the SIT to appear before it.