'Return, surrender': Ex-PM Deve Gowda 'warns' grandson Prajwal, asks him to face probe into sexual abuse allegations

JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has issued a 'stern warning' to his grandson and suspended party MP Prajwal Revanna asking him to return to the country and face probe into sexual abuse allegations, while asserting there will be no interference from him or other family members into the enquiry.

He asked Prajwal, the party's Hassan MP who is facing allegations of sexual harassment of many women, to return to India and surrender before the police. Prajwal had flown reportedly to Germany in the last week of April. The JD(S) supremo reiterated that his grandson should be given the harshest punishment under the law "if found guilty".

"At this juncture, I can do only one thing; I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process," the 92-year-old veteran politician said in a statement.

Gowda made it clear it was "not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing". "If he does not heed this warning, he will have to face my anger and anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately," Gowda said.

I have issued a warning to @iPrajwalRevanna to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further. pic.twitter.com/kCMuNJOvAo

— H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) May 23, 2024

Prajwal, who is seeking re-election from Hassan as an NDA candidate, is absconding and is holed up abroad ever since a huge cache of explicit videos became public, showing women being sexually assaulted allegedly by him. There are two rape cases registered against Prajwal. An arrest warrant has also been issued against him besides a blue corner notice by Interpol.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Centre to cancel his diplomatic passport. Prajwal's father and Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna is out on bail in two cases. One is related to molestation of a cook, who was also allegedly raped by Prajwal, and the other relates to the kidnap of a woman.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)