Can Our System Jail A Former Prime Minister's Grandson?

Tainted Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna, who was on the run over sexual harassment case, landed in India from Munich, Germany and surrendered to the police in the early hours of Friday night. Following his arrest, he was handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government to investigate the high-profile case.

The arrest came amid a huge outrage in India over sexual charges against JD(S) leader Revanna, who is also grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. 

BJP and its ally JD(S) have been facing a huge backlash over sexual charges against 33-year-old Revanna, the sitting MP from Karnataka's Hassan.  

What's Next?

Prior to the hearing, Revanna was taken to the Bengaluru's local hospital where his medical test was done amid a massive security. Following this, Revanna moved to the Bengaluru court and applied for the anticipatory bail which is most likely to be rejected. Earlier, on Wednesday, the court had rejected Revanna's bail plea moved by his lawyer.

According to sources, the SIT may seek a 14-day police custody to interrogate the JD(S) MP. According to the media reports, the SIT has gathered strong evidence against Revanna based on the statements made by several victims. 

The probe team also collected secondary evidence by confirming the premises where the alleged crimes took place. During the interrogation, the probe team will ask Revenna to cooperate in restoring the deleted videos and pictures of sexual crimes. 

Apart from recording his statements, the SIT will also examine Revanna's WhatsApp history, emails and phone recordings.Meanwhile, the SIT has asked Revanna's mother, Bhavani Revanna, to appear before the probe team on June 1 in the alleged kidnapping case. The case was filed against Revanna's mother after the 20-year-old son of the victim lodged the complaint, claiming that her mother was tied and raped by Prajval Revanna.

Revanna's father, HD Revanna, was also arrested for barely a week in the sexual harassment case filed by a former employee of the family. Later, Revanna, who is sitting MLA from Holenarasipur constituency in Hassan district, granted conditional bail by court last month. 

The Case

The case has sparked political storm across the country amid the general elections. The case, interestingly, came into limelight the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Hassan to campaign in favour of NDA candidate Revanna. On April 26, about 3,000 sex videos in pen drives linked to the JD(S) MP went viral in Hassan constituency.

On 27 April, the Karnataka government form an SIT to probe the case. On 28 April, Prajval Revanna left for Europe. Calling Revanna a "mass rapist", Congress alleged the BJP supported the Hassan MP despite knowing that "hundreds of women had been abused by him".

Will Justice Be Served in Prajwal Revanna Case?

The recent arrest of Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has ignited widespread skepticism about the justice system. Despite the grave sexual harassment charges against him, many fear that his influential political connections might shield him from accountability. As a member of a powerful family, there are growing concerns that Revanna might evade justice, raising questions about the integrity of the legal process. The case’s high-profile nature and political implications underscore the need for transparency and impartiality in ensuring justice for the victims. Will justice prevail, or will power and influence tip the scales?