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Several lookout notices have been issued by SIT against Prajwal Revanna, 33, who failed to appear for questioning in a sexual harassment case. (PTI Photo)
Jaishankar confirms receipt of a request to impound the passport of Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, who fled to Germany amid sexual assault allegations
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has confirmed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) received a request to impound the passport of Janata Dal-Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, who fled to Germany after sexual assault allegations surfaced against him.
The 33-year-old Prajwal, who is the NDA candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of sexually abusing several women. Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls, and is still at large. “To impound a passport is governed by an act called the Passport Act. We need a judicial court or a police request to do so. The MEA got this request from Karnataka only on May 21,” Jaishankar said in an interview with ANI.
Earlier today, Times Now reported that the MEA issued a show-cause notice to the now-suspended JD (S) MP. This report came after the MEA began the process to revoke Prajwal’s passport following a letter from the Karnataka government. Meanwhile, a ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on his whereabouts has already been issued by Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal, following an application moved by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Trouble mounted on Thursday for Prajwal, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal. Meanwhile, former prime minister and Prajwal’s grandfather Deve Gowda issued a “stern warning”, asking his grandson to come home and face the matter legally, lest he should face his anger and that of the family members leading to his isolation.
Reacting to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s second missive to the Prime Minister, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said there is a process to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal, and asserted the Centre is ready to cooperate in bringing him back to the country. In New Delhi, official sources said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has received a letter from the Karnataka government seeking revocation of Revanna’s diplomatic passport.
“The MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government for cancellation of diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. This is being processed,” a source said. The MEA’s explanation came in the wake of Siddaramaiah’s second missive to PM Modi on the issue, urging him to take “prompt and necessary” actions to cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport.
In his letter to Modi, the chief minister said it was “shameful that Prajwal, a Member of Parliament from Hassan constituency, who is also contesting for re-election in the present general elections, and who is the grandson of a former Prime Minister, fled the country, the 27th of April, 2024 to Germany using his diplomatic passport…shortly after news of his heinous actions emerged and just a few hours before the first FIR was filed against him.” The Chief Minister, who had written to the PM on May 1 on the subject, further said the Karnataka government has taken prompt action to meet the ends of justice by setting up a special team to probe the matter.
(With agency inputs)
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