Karnataka Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexual assault, has publicly acknowledged the existence of sex tapes that have embroiled him in controversy. Last June, Revanna, a member of the Janata Dal (Secular), filed a gag order to prevent the spread of what he called “fake news” and “morphed videos.”
According to reports, Revanna filed a lawsuit in a Bengaluru civil court in June 2023 against 86 media outlets and three individuals in connection with the case. On June 2, 2023, the court granted an injunction to the Hassan MP, citing concerns about the defendants “threatening to publish or distribute fake news and morphed videos against the plaintiff.”
Ahead of the April 26 by-election, more than 2,900 videos purportedly recorded by Revanna himself circulated on pen drives in Hassan. G Deveraje Gowda, a local BJP leader who was defeated by Revanna’s father HD Revanna in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, claimed to have obtained the videos from Prajwal’s former driver. Gowda reportedly referred to the “obscene pictures” and the gag order during a media briefing in January 2024. The BJP leader emphasized that he did not release the videos out of respect for the women’s dignity and privacy.
Months before the NDA announced Revanna as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, Gowda wrote a letter to Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra expressing concern about the allegations against Revanna. “If we form an alliance with the JD(S) and nominate a JD(S) candidate in Hassan for the Lok Sabha elections, these videos could be used as a brahmastra (weapon) and we will be tainted as a party that aligned with the family of a rapist. This will be a major blow to our party’s image nationwide,” the letter stated, as quoted by The News Minute.
The “sex video” scandal gained attention after several video clips allegedly involving multiple women surfaced on social media recently. A sexual harassment case has been filed against the Karnataka MP based on allegations made by his former maid. His father, HD Revanna, is also facing charges. The police have filed a case under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC, alleging sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the dignity of a woman. The complainant alleges that she was sexually assaulted by both HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna. Prajwal is the nephew of former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and the grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda. Revanna is the candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the Hassan constituency, where elections were held on Friday. He departed for Germany on Saturday morning.
