Prajwal Revanna Sex Tape Scandal: Karnataka Govt Likely to Approach CBI to Issue Blue Corner Notice

New Delhi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials in high level meeting on Saturday briefed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the status of investigation in connection with the sex tape scandal case allegedly involving now-suspended JDS leader Prajwal Revanna, Republic has learnt. For the uninitiated, Prajwal Revanna has been accused of sexually abusing several women, and recording the acts on his mobile phone.

Here is what we know so far:

• At the key meeting, CM Siddaramaiah sought Information from the authorities on the developments in the case so far, and instructed the SIT officials to take all necessary action immediately to arrest Prajwal Revanna.
• An extensive search is being conducted and a lookout notice has been issued to trace and bring back the primary accused in the case – Prajwal Revanna, who has been absconding ever since the allegations surfaced, SIT officials informed the chief minister.
• Strict and stringent action should be taken against those involved in the case, Siddaramaiah told officials, adding that “negligence and delay” in this regard “will not be tolerated”.
• The state government is likely to approach the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to issue a Blue Corner Notice and speed up the investigation.

Congress Govt in Karnataka Sat on Evidence Against Prajwal Revanna: Sitharaman

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the Congress government in Karnataka did not take action against Prajwal Revanna for about a year despite being aware of the matter.

The Congress was afraid that it might lose Vokkaliga votes and therefore stayed silent until the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections got over, news agency PTI quoted Sitharaman as saying.

"The Union home minister (Amit Shah) has made it very clear that we will not tolerate the matters that go against women and on that we stand united. Though the (BJP's) alliance partner has this issue, we have made it clear that it was not acceptable, and let it be investigated," Sitharaman reportedly said while responding to a question on whether the scandal will have an impact on the saffron party's performance in Karnataka in the ongoing elections.

"It was being claimed that a driver gave a pen drive (allegedly containing evidence of Revanna's acts) to the Congress party and state home minister but they were sitting on this evidence for about a year, and "now the BJP is made to answer because the JDS is in alliance with us," Sitharaman further said as she charged that The ministers of the Congress government knew what was in the pen drive but they did not think that safety of women should be their priority,  .

"They thought the Vokkaliga votes might go from their hands and decided to remain silent till the time the first phase of Lok Sabha got over. Now they are making it a big issue and pushing it which is typical of Congress and it shows their hypocrisy," the BJP leader further said.