No mistakes on the part of the government in handling the Prajwal sexual abuse case: K’taka HM
Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to the polls, and is still at large. Interpol has also issued a Blue Corner Notice requesting information on his whereabouts | File image
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has asserted that there were no lapses on the part of the government in handling cases related to the alleged sexual abuse of women by Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and that the Special Investigation Team has investigated them from all corners examined.
He also rejected the opposition parties’ allegations about the breakdown of law and order in Karnataka and defended the state police, saying they have ‘done a good job’.
“The SIT is seriously investigating this (Prajwal Revanna) case from all angles and they are quite competent. As soon as we came to know about this case, we first handed it over to the CID and then formed the SIT looking at the seriousness of the case. No mistakes were made on the part of the government. If the intelligence agency has failed here in Karnataka, the central intelligence agency has also failed because they allowed him to fly out of the country,” Parameshwara said.
Speaking to PTI Videos, he said a court has issued an arrest warrant against Prajwal Revanna following which the state government has written to the Center asking it to cancel his diplomatic passport.
“It is a very sensitive matter and you cannot force people to file a complaint against Prajwal. We are receiving many reports, people fleeing their homes in Hassan, many women experiencing hardship and toiling in their homes. Many of these women who have supposedly appeared in these videos occupy a certain position in society. They are all under the scanner of their own families. It is a terrible development,” he added.
33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is accused of multiple cases of sexual abuse of women. The cases came to light after a number of explicit videos allegedly involving him became public.
Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to the polls, and is still at large. Interpol has also issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information on his whereabouts.
Parameshwara said that some video footage has been sent to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) to establish the voice and image, and that police have more or less confirmed the identity of the person seen in the videos: “The investigations are still ongoing, so it is not appropriate for me to reveal any further details as they relate to this matter.”
Replying to a question, he said it would be wrong to say that the Congress party is making the Prajwal Revanna scandal a political issue.
“The fact is that this has entered the public domain, and you cannot deny that such a scandal has taken place. How is the Congress Party involved in this…? Different people use different languages and I hope and request everyone not to comment on this issue because it is very sensitive,” he said.
Regarding the killing of two young women in Hubballi following which the opposition has attacked the government for inability to maintain law and order, the Home Minister said: “I feel sorry for the families and the victims. These kinds of murders should not happen. has happened…the case is being transferred to the competent authorities. The perpetrators have been arrested.
The Karnataka Police noted that the Lok Sabha elections in the state were peaceful and many festivals also passed off peacefully. He said the police have done a good job of maintaining law and order.
“The opposition is making big accusations, but they lack data and evidence to substantiate them. During the BJP’s rule, many killings, especially hate crimes, as well as inter-communal violence took place. Killings took place in coastal areas citing religious sentiments, all of which I have been monitoring the situation across the state in Bengaluru. One thing is certain: we will not allow things to spiral out of control as has been the case in certain states of the country,” he added. .
On the ongoing investigation into the Bitcoin scam, Parameshwara said officers had told him that this is the “biggest financial scam” in recent times.
“Some officers stood in front of the investigators. There are certain people who work in public life who are also involved. It is too technical and tens of millions of rupees are involved, so it will take a long time for a watertight case to emerge. “One person has been arrested and many details are emerging,” he said.
Asserting that there is no truth in the BJP’s claims about the collapse of the Congress government in the state after the Assembly elections, Parameshwara said, “They are just trying to create confusion… we have a very stable government here.”
The senior leader, who has also served as state Congress chief in the past, said his party has done extremely well in Karnataka and should get more than 20 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats.
“We have a good reputation. As far as the guarantee schemes are concerned, we have fulfilled the promises made in the manifesto,” he said.
Stating that he does not see a Modi wave, Parameshwara further said, “I have not visited North India but I am getting these messages from my colleagues and media that the BJP is not in the same position as last time. and the chances of INDIA bloc forming the government are very high.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: May 22, 2024 | 12:08 pm IST