A Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Karnataka Police is investigating three rape cases against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, 33, and has reportedly amassed significant circumstantial evidence. Prajwal, who left India on April 27 after the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and following the release of videos allegedly depicting sexual assaults, is expected to return on May 31. He is scheduled to arrive from Munich at 12:35 am on Friday, where the SIT, armed with an arrest warrant, will likely detain him upon arrival.
The primary evidence in the three FIRs of rape includes statements from the victims, which led to the registration of the cases. The SIT has strengthened its case with secondary evidence such as video recordings of the assaults and the locations where they occurred. The videos, allegedly filmed by Prajwal himself, are crucial to the investigation. The SIT has been trying to locate the device (an iPhone) reported missing by the MP, which was used to record the assaults. Extensive crime scene mappings have been conducted to corroborate the locations depicted in the videos. Although Prajwal’s face does not appear in the footage, the SIT is using physical attributes and voices to identify him. Additional technical evidence, such as cell phone tower data, is also being used to establish the presence of the accused and the victims at the crime scenes.
The SIT has collected statements from over a dozen witnesses who were present at Prajwal Revanna quarters in Hassan and his family residences in Bengaluru and Hassan. Early in the investigation, the SIT conducted thorough crime scene mappings using video, photography, and drawings to verify the locations of the crimes. “There were attempts to alter the scene of the crime as seen in the videos,” an SIT source revealed. On Wednesday, the SIT seized beds, cots, and furniture from Prajwal’s quarters, where some of the assaults allegedly occurred.
Voice samples from victims who resisted the assaults, as captured in the videos, have been collected for verification. After Prajwal Revanna arrest, his voice samples, physical attributes, and possibly DNA will be collected for further evidence. One victim claimed that she was assaulted at the MP’s family residence in Bengaluru after being brought from Hassan for domestic work.
The SIT is also examining cloud data (iCloud) to trace the origin and path of the sex videos. The videos were reportedly stolen by Prajwal’s driver, Karthik N, using the ‘AirDrop’ feature to transfer them to a new iPhone. Karthik, who had a falling out with Prajwal over a property dispute in March 2023, has been missing since the controversy emerged. He is accused of distributing morphed images and videos of Prajwal ahead of the April 26 elections.
The SIT is scrutinizing technical data from iPhone and iCloud users involved in sharing the videos to locate the original sources. With Apple’s strong security measures, tracking the device or account where the recordings were stored may provide crucial evidence. Prajwal’s anticipatory bail plea, filed remotely, is scheduled for hearing on May 31, just hours after his anticipated arrival, indicating he will likely be arrested by the SIT, which secured an arrest warrant on May 18.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/sit-karnataka-mp-prajwal-revanna-9361393/
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