How gag order delayed doom for 'sexual abuser' Prajwal

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Many wonder how JD(S) MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna managed to stay out of legal trouble despite videos of him allegedly sexually assaulting women circulating since last year.

The answer is that a Bengaluru court had promptly granted an exparte injunction, a gag order that keeps the news media from reporting negative news about public figures without giving them a chance to respond.

On June 2, 2023,the gag order was granted in Prajwal’ favour by the Principal City Civil and Sessions Court against 89 news outlets forbidding them from publishing “defamatory" content about him.

He also alleged that the videos were morphed to show his face. Prajwal is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and the son of party MLA from Holenarasipura HD Revanna.

Prajwal allegedly features in nearly 3,000 videos sexually assaulting women with the victims pleading to not be filmed.

Issue simmering since May 2023

The issue can be traced back to May 2023 after the Assembly elections. Sections of the Kannada media had been reporting that obscene videos showing an MP had been leaked.

However, Prajwal secured a gag order keeping media from reporting on it from a court on June 2. The leaks were allegedly triggered by a land dispute.

Karthik, Prajwal’s former driver, who reportedly had access to the MP’s phone, said he copy-pasted the videos.

The motive was that he had allegedly been forced to sign away his land of 16-acres in his native village in Holenarasipura taluk in Hassan district to Revanna’s family.

He figured he could use the videos as leverage. Karthik allegedly passed the video on to HD Revanna’s political rivals in Holenarasipura: Congressman Shreyas Patel and BJP leader Devaraje Gowda.

However, the driver insisted he had shared the video with Gowda alone, seeking help over the land dispute.

On December 8, 2023, Devaraje Gowda wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, informing that he and Congress had acquired “many videos” of Prajwal.

He had warned Shah if the Hassan MP was fielded as the joint candidate; Congress would use it during poll time as a “trump card”.

In December, Karthik lodged a complaint with the local police over the land.

Modi seeks votes for JD(S) man

On March 30, 2023, Prajwal was named as JD(S)’ Hassan candidate and on April 14, Prime Minister Modi held a rally in Mysuru, asking people to vote for Prajwal.

Predictably, pen drives containing Prajwal’s videos began flooding Hassan between April 22 and 25. The faces of the victims weren’t blurred.

The seat went to polls on April 26. Prajwal fled, allegedly to Frankfurt, Germany a day after the polls.

On the same day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) based on the complaint of a women’s group.

On April 29, a former cook of the family, registered a complaint against HD Revanna and Prajwal, alleging rape.

Both HD Revanna and brother Kumaraswamy declare the videos to be “four to five years old”.

Court curbs on reports

Ex-parte injunctions have stopped the media from carrying such reports as city courts have granted gag orders against dozens of outlets at a time, especially when the complainant is an elected representative.

CM to PM: Cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, used his diplomatic passport to travel abroad, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take swift action to cancel it.

Truth will prevail, says Prajwal Hassan

MP and Lok Sabha election candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance Prajwal Revanna, who is facing an inquiry over the alleged sexual abuse of several women, said the truth will prevail.

PRAJWAL-GATE TIMELINE

May 2023: Videos of sexual assault, allegedly featuring Prajwal do the rounds

June 2, 2023: JD(S) MP gets gag order

Dec 8, 2023: BJP leader Devaraje writes to Amit Shah, informing him of the videos

Dec 2023: A complaint lodged with police over land dispute by Prajwal’s driver Karthik, alleged source of leaks.

April 14: Modi holds a rally in Mysuru, asks people to vote for Prajwal

April 22 to 25: Pen drives containing more videos of Prajwal allegedly raping scores of women flood Hassan

April 26: H