The Prajwal Revanna Saga - A Timeline

Bengaluru, May 30: The JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna is all set to return to India on May 31 as he fled the country after he was accused of being involved in the sex video scandal.

He has claimed, in a video, that he would appear before the investigating authorities on May 31 at 10 am.

Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda entered politics in 2014 and actively campaigned for Deve Gowda during the Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prajwal Revanna was announced as the candidate for the JD-S from Hassan Lok Sabha seat. With the support of the Congress, he won the election.

He became the NDA candidate for the 2024 Parliamentary election amid stiff resistance from the local BJP unit.

When talks over the BJP and JD-S alliance were underway for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, BJP leader G. Devaraje Gowda warned that JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna (Prajwal’s father) is involved in the harassment of scores of women.

On December 8, 2023, Devaraje Gowda wrote a letter to BJP National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh and State President B.Y. Vijayendra explaining the pen drive containing 2,976 sex videos involving Prajwal.

He also warned the party that Congress is already in possession of the pen drive.

Here is the timeline:

April 19: Pen drives containing the sex videos were dumped in thousands at public places in Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru Rural Parliamentary constituencies. The alleged sex videos went viral on social media putting the Deve Gowda family on the back foot. The development also proved to be an embarrassment for the BJP.

April 24: Karnataka Rajya Mahila Dourjanya Virodhi Vedike, a forum of women’s organisations, wrote to the State Women’s Commission on videos.

April 25: The State Women’s Commission writes a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DGP Alok Mohan demanding the formation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the scandal.

April 26: Prajwal Revanna casts his vote while refuting allegations against him. On the night of the same day, he quietly left the country.

April 27: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announces the formation of SIT while confirming Prajwal’s involvement in the scandal.

April 28: SIT lodges FIR against Prajwal.

April 30: The National Commission for Women urges Karnataka DGP to apprehend the accused. Following the pressure, JD-S suspended Prajwal from the party.

May 1: Prajwal appears on social media platform X, says, ‘Truth will prevail’ and also sought seven days time to appear before the investigating agencies.

May 2: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the cancellation of Prajawal’s diplomatic passport.

May 3: A JD-S woman worker files a second FIR against Prajwal. The victim says that she was repeatedly raped by Prajwal at his office. She also stated that he (Prajwal) filmed the act for blackmail

May 4: Prajwal’s father JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna was arrested in a kidnap case filed by one of the victims of the sex video scandal after SIT traced and rescued the kidnapped woman.

May 5: Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, along with the JD-S delegation, meet the Karnataka Governor to hand over Prajwal's case to the CBI.

May 6: SIT launches a helpline for the victims.

May 13: Prajwal’s father H.D. Revanna is released on bail. On the same day, former Chief Minister and uncle H.D. Kumaraswamy makes a public appeal to Prajwal Revanna to return to India and appear before the SIT.

May 15: At least 107 intellectuals write to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking the arrest of Prajwal Revanna.

May 23: Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda writes an open letter to Prajwal and issues a stern warning to return to India. Gowda also asks him not to test his patience. On the same day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to cancel Prajwal’s passport.

May 27: Prajwal releases another video announcing that he would present himself before the authorities on May 31 at 10 am and answer all questions.

The SIT has booked cases against Prajwal under IPC Sections 376 (2) N (committing rape repeatedly on same woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (A) (1) (behaving in unwelcome way, explicit sexual behaviour, demanding sexual favours), 354 (B) (using criminal force on woman) and 354 (C) (voyeurism, capturing image of a woman in a private act without her consent) and Under Sections of the Information Technology Act.