A member of Parliament from Karnataka, India, has left the country in the wake of accusations that he sexually assaulted several women, CBS reported Monday.
Accusations surfaced that Prajwal Revanna blackmailed the women to maintain relations with him, according to CBS News. These allegations broke as India began its general elections, set to be the largest electoral process in the world with nearly one billion voters. The leaked videos appeared just days before the polls opened in Revanna’s constituency.
Revanna, 33, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, represents the Janata Dal Secular Party (JDS) in an alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite the allegations, he is campaigning for reelection, CBS News reported. Revanna has denied all allegations and filed a police complaint claiming the videos were doctored.
Indian parliamentarian Prajwal Revanna, whose party is allied with the prime minister, is accused of recording thousands of videos of sexual assault and using them for blackmail. https://t.co/10i5OH1XzU
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 29, 2024
Two women also accused him of sexual assault on Power TV, and a 47-year-old employee at his residence alleged repeated abuse by him from 2019 to 2022. She also implicated his father, HD Revanna, in one abuse incident, the outlet reported. (RELATED: State Representative Refuses To Resign Amid Sexual Harassment Claims)
Local police have charged Revanna with sexual harassment and intimidation, and the state has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate further, CBS News reported. Amid these events, Revanna reportedly left India. His father, a leader in the JDS party, stated that Revanna was traveling but would return if required for the investigation.
Meanwhile, the BJP is reportedly attempting to distance itself from the scandal. Reports suggest that a local BJP leader had earlier warned against allying with the JDS after allegedly receiving explicit videos involving women, according to CBS News.