A large number of JD(S) workers led by the party’s core committee chief G.T. Deve Gowda gathered in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Bannur Road in the city on Wednesday to oppose the investigation into the sexual harassment charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) team constituted by the Congress government in the State.
Contending that the SIT probe had taken a “wrong direction”, Mr. Gowda demanded a CBI probe to unravel all the facts relating to the episode including the crime of releasing the explicit videos publicly and tarnishing the reputation of women.
The JD(S) workers began gathering in front of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Dairy in Siddarthanagar wearing black bands to protest the ‘conspiracy’ against the JD(S) leadership allegedly hatched by the Congress leaders including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Opposing the ongoing SIT probe, the protestors shouted slogans against the Congress government and marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where they staged a demonstration.
Former Minister and Working president of JD(S) S.R. Mahesh, Hunsur MLA Harish Gowda, former MLAs Ashwin Kumar and K. Mahadev and a host of party leaders in Mysuru participated in the demonstration.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Gowda said the JD(S) had initially welcomed the SIT probe, hoping that the truth concerning the allegations will be brought to light while anticipating justice to the women victims.
However, their hopes had been dashed as the SIT is not conducting any inquiry about the persons responsible for releasing the explicit videos and tarnishing the women victims. As the SIT probe is on the “wrong track” and functioning as a “puppet” of the Congress government, the JD(S) is seeking a CBI probe.
Mr. Gowda, who had sought a judicial probe on Tuesday, said the party would move the High Court or Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe in the matter if the State government does not hand over the investigation to the CBI.
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International Links
Mr. Gowda alleged that the persons behind the release of the explicit videos had purchased a large quantity of pen drives by paying ₹3 crore to a Chennai-based company. The explicit videos had been loaded into the pen drives in a foreign country before they were brought back to India and distributed, he alleged.
The SIT, established by the State government, does not have jurisdiction to take its probe to either Chennai or a foreign country. Hence, a CBI probe is needed to expose the international links in the matter.
