The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual abuse allegations against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna has issued a summons to his mother, Bhavani Revanna. She is required to appear before the SIT on Saturday regarding an abduction case linked to the investigation.
Prajwal, the Lok Sabha MP from Hassan, was arrested on Friday on charges of raping several women. Initially booked on April 28 for sexual harassment, further rape charges were added on May 2 and May 8. Following these allegations, he was suspended from the Janata Dal (Secular) party on April 30.
One of the complainants also accused Prajwal’s father, HD Revanna, a Janata Dal (Secular) MLA, of abducting her to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal.
HD Revanna was arrested on May 4 but was released on bail 10 days later. Now the high court has flagged discrepancies in the award.
The SIT’s notice to Bhavani is part of the ongoing investigation into the abduction claim of the witness. According to the notice issued by SIT Inspector and Investigation Officer Hemanth Kumar M, Bhavani is required to be present at her residence, ‘Chennambika Nilaya’ in Holenarasipur, Hassan district, on June 1 from 10 am to 5 pm.
The notice also indicated that Bhavani had failed to respond to previous notices sent by the SIT. She had earlier expressed her willingness to cooperate with the investigation at her residence and applied for anticipatory bail at a special court in Bengaluru.
Prajwal was taken into SIT custody until June 6 following his arrest related to the sexual abuse allegations. He was handed over to the Karnataka Police’s SIT, then taken to the Crime Investigation Department headquarters, and subsequently for medical tests at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. He was later produced before a magistrate court, which ordered his six-day police custody.
A special court had rejected Prajwal’s petition for anticipatory bail just a day before his arrest.
