Prajwal remanded to 6-day police custody

Bengaluru: A court here on Friday remanded the suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to police custody till June 6. The Hassan MP, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the wee hours of Friday after his arrival from Germany. He was produced before the court after the medical examination at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. Earlier, the suspended JD(S) MP was arrested upon his return from Germany, a month after he left the country in the wake of explicit videos of his alleged actions doing the rounds in Karnataka's Hassan.

In a clear message by the SIT probing the allegations, a team of women police personnel ‘welcomed’ Prajwal Revanna upon his arrival here, as they were deputed to execute a warrant and take him to the CID office for interrogatrion.

The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K N Shivakumat heard the remand application and objection argument from Prajwal’s advocate and remanded him to police custody. Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Naik argued on behalf of SIT and sought 14 days of police custody.

Prajwal’s advocate Arun G said there were no rape charges in the initial FIR filed against his client until May 5 and police custody is not recommended. Naik objected to this and said there were several pieces of evidence against Prajwal and demanded police custody. Arun, in his final submission, said that one day of police custody is enough for the interrogation and requested the court not to remand him for more than a day. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Shivakumar reserved the order and after an hour’s break, remanded Prajwal to police custody.

Meanwhile, the SIT moved the Karnataka High Court seeking cancellation of bail to Prajwal’s father and Holenarasipura JD(S) MLA H D Revanna in a kidnapping case. A single bench headed by Justice Krishna Dixit, adjourned the matter till Monday. The session court had granted bail to H D Revanna. The case pertains to kidnapping a woman from KR Nagar, where Revanna is an accused and is out on bail.