More than a month after thousands of USB sticks containing footage of the alleged abuse went viral in his home state, an Indian congressman who left the nation after being accused of sexual assault is scheduled to return this week.
Following the films’ viral success, Karnataka lawmaker Prajwal Revanna, who is running for reelection, used his diplomatic passport to depart India on April 27.
He said in a video posted this week from an unidentified place that he would be returning to India on May 31 to face a police team that was looking into the charges.
He has called the claims of sexual assault and rape a “political conspiracy” and denied them.
Mr. Revanna is the grandson of a prominent political figure, so he comes from a powerful family.
He is the grandson of HD Deve Gowda, the last prime minister of India and head of the Vokkaliga minority, which holds significant political influence in the state. His Janata Dal (Secular), or JD (S) party, is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both Prajwal Revanna’s uncle, HD Kumaraswamy, and father, HD Revanna, are well-known lawmakers in the Karnataka state assembly.
A former family employee has accused HD Revanna of criminal intimidation and sexual harassment in the police report. After a six-day arrest, he was released on bond last month. Additionally, he has refuted the claims, branding them as a political plot.
