Hunt for Prajwal: Govt moves to scrap passport

The external affairs ministry was on Thursday in the process of cancelling the diplomatic passport of MP Prajwal Revanna, the suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader facing allegations of mass sexual abuse, as Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi a second time to expedite action in the matter.

Also Read | Ex-PM Deve Gowda's stern warning to fugitive grandson Prajwal Revanna: ‘Return immediately’

The external affairs ministry received the Karnataka government’s formal letter for revoking Prajwal’s passport on Tuesday, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. The 33-year-old MP, facing charges of rape, criminal intimidation and sexual harassment after thousands of videos emerged purportedly showing him in sexual acts with multiple women, is currently in Germany.

“This is being processed under the provisions of the Passports Act of 1967 and relevant regulations,” one of the people cited above said without giving more details. It was not immediately clear how long the process of cancelling the passport will take.

Once the passport is revoked, Prajwal will be unable to clear immigration if he attempts to travel out of Germany, the people said.

Also Read | MEA processing Karnataka’s request to cancel Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport

Siddaramaiah again wrote to Modi to expedite the cancellation of Prajwal’s passport – the second such letter this month – and also expressed frustration over the lack of action from the Centre, officials said.

Prajwal, the grandson of JD(S) supreme HD Deve Gowda, is up for re-election. His party has an alliance with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Hours after Siddaramaiah’s letter was made public on Thursday, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said the process to cancel the MP’s passport had begun. However, Joshi criticised the Karnataka government for not arresting Prajwal before he left the country.

In his first letter dated May 1, Siddaramaiah sought the Centre’s help in securing Prajwal’s custody. In the second letter, shared on social media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted the urgency and severity of the situation and criticised the lack of action on his previous request.

“It is disheartening that my previous letter raising similar concerns on the issue has not, to the best of my knowledge, been acted upon despite the gravity of the situation,” Siddaramaiah wrote.

He said in his letter that Prajwal “abused his diplomatic privileges to flee the country and to escape criminal proceedings”.

Amid all this, HD Deve Gowda asked his grandson to return to India and join the police investigation. “If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately,” Gowda said in an open letter addressed to his grandson, refusing to get into any discussion on whether he is guilty or innocent.

“It is of utmost importance to me to earn back trust of people. They have stood with me for 60 years of my political life and I am deeply indebted to them,” Deve Gowda wrote.

Obscene videos allegedly showing Prajwal sexually abusing several women surfaced in April, days before the constituency voted. He travelled to Germany the same month using his diplomatic passport. The first FIR against him was filed on April 28, after a victim came forward, and three more FIRs of rape have been filed against him since then.

On May 18, a Special Court for Public Representatives issued an arrest warrant for Prajwal following an application by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations against him. Besides a look-out circular, a Blue Corner Notice by Interpol and multiple notices under section 41A of the CrPC were also issued against him.

Siddaramaiah said in his letter: “It is a matter of serious concern that the accused Prajwal Revanna has managed to remain in hiding to this day despite the issue of a Look Out Circular, a Blue Corner Notice and two notices by the Investigating Officer under section 41A CrPC…Needless to emphasise that such abuse of privileges and deliberate acts of non-cooperation with the legal proceedings deserves serious action by the central government or its instrumentalities so as to secure the presence of the accused to face investigation and trial.”

The letter came a day after Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara voiced concern over the Centre’s delayed response. “The Centre has not responded to our request for the cancellation of Revanna’s diplomatic passport, despite the arrest warrant and the gravity of the charges against him,” Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru.

Union minister Joshi said there is a formal process to cancel diplomatic passports and the Centre is ready to cooperate with the state government. “The first pen drive containing clipping (involving Revanna) came out on April 21 and Revanna went abroad on April 27. Were they guarding donkeys for seven days? Why didn’t you file an FIR and detain him?” Joshi asked.

Joshi accused the state government of delaying action until after the first phase of elections on April 26 to avoid losing votes from the Vokkaliga community, to which Prajwal belongs. Joshi stressed Prajwal must face the investigation and any resulting punishment if found guilty, but he also accused the Karnataka government of politicising the issue.

On May 2, the external affairs ministry acknowledged that Prajwal travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport but said authorities had no role in facilitating a visa for him. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said according to the provisions of the Passports Act of 1967, passports can only be revoked on the directions of a court.

The external affairs ministry also said holders of diplomatic passports don’t require a visa to travel to Germany.