Prajwal Revanna arrested after completing due process, says G. Parameshwara

Karnataka home minister G. Parameshwara on Friday, 31 May, said suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was arrested after completing due process, and further legal procedures will follow.

He said the arrest would help the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government to probe cases against the Hassan MP.

Prajwal was arrested in the early hours of Friday by the SIT, minutes after he arrived from Germany.

"Prajwal Revanna landed around 12.40 am -12:50 am from Germany's Munich. As there was an arrest warrant against him, SIT accordingly arrested him and took him into custody and further legal procedures they will follow today. I'm yet to discuss it with our officials," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "As of now, the only information is that he (Prajwal) has come. He has been arrested and according to law, what action should be taken, like -- medical examination, presenting him before the judiciary. All those procedures will follow, including questioning him."

"...naturally he should have cooperated to the arrest. His immigration papers were cleared and he was brought out (of the airport). As he had a diplomatic passport, things happened easily, after completing all the due process, he was arrested," he added.

Asked if the government will appeal to more victims to come forward, now that Prajwal has been arrested, Parameshwara said, "We have already said, those who have faced trouble from him to come forward and give complaints to SIT and police, and we will provide them all kind of protection. We will have to wait and see further developments."

To a question about reports that Prajwal had destroyed evidence in his phone and is claiming that he has lost the phone, the minister said that he was not aware of it and hadn't heard from SIT on the same.

Responding to a question about whether the arrest was delayed, the home minister said if Prajwal was in the country or the state, a team could have been sent to secure him, but as he was abroad there were certain procedures to be followed.

"So through CBI, Interpol was informed and a Blue Corner Notice was issued against him. Those procedures were followed. Knowing all those things and thinking that in case, the Lok Sabha poll results go against him, the diplomatic passport would be withdrawn, and he will have to come back, he had issued a video statement that he would surrender on 31 May. He has come now. It will help SIT in the investigation," he added.

The 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of sexually abusing many women. He has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault. There are also charges of rape against him.

He had left for Germany on 27 April, a day after Hassan went to the polls. A 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on his whereabouts was issued by Interpol earlier, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal, following an application moved by the SIT. The Congress-led Karnataka government has urged the Centre to cancel his diplomatic passport.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show-cause notice to Prajwal asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government given allegations of sexual abuse against him.