India MP arrested in sex abuse case on return to country

Indian police have arrested Prajwal Revanna, a lawmaker accused of sexually abusing multiple women. Revanna, who fled India on April 27, was detained upon his arrival from Germany in Bengaluru on Friday. He denies all allegations.

Revanna, 33, is a member of the Janata Dal (Secular) party, an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. He is seeking re-election from the Hassan constituency in Karnataka. Before the voting, thousands of USB sticks with videos allegedly showing Revanna abusing women circulated in Karnataka, sparking outrage. An official from his office claimed the videos were doctored.

Police have registered three cases of sexual assault against Revanna. A special investigation team, established by Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah, is handling the cases. A special court issued an arrest warrant on May 18, and Revanna’s anticipatory bail application was rejected on Thursday.

After being missing for several weeks, Revanna released a video on May 27 stating his intention to appear before the special investigation team. This statement followed a request from his grandfather, former Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, urging him to return to India and face the investigation. Revanna’s father, HD Revanna, and uncle, HD Kumaraswamy, are influential legislators in Karnataka. HD Revanna faces separate accusations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation but has denied the allegations, calling them a political conspiracy.