Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Saudi Arabia launches pavilion at Bologna International Book Fair 2025    Rare Kaaba interior coverings showcased at Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Marine Le Pen sentenced to prison, barred from office over EU funds embezzlement    UK returns over 24,000 migrants as Starmer scraps Rwanda deportation plan    Missing US soldiers' armored vehicle recovered from Lithuanian swamp    Myanmar declares seven days of national mourning after devastating earthquake    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Defense, interior, and national guard ministers extend Eid greetings, praise efforts of military and security personnel    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Elon Musk's xAI acquires X in all-stock deal    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Indian MP's 'sex abuse' tapes spark outrage
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 30 - 04 - 2024

Thousands of videos allegedly showing an Indian MP sexually abusing women have circulated in the southern state of Karnataka, sparking outrage.
Police are investigating allegations against Prajwal Revanna who is accused of assaulting several women.
Revanna has not commented but an official from his office denied the allegations, saying the videos are doctored.
The influential MP is the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.
His father HD Revanna, who is a legislator in the Karnataka state assembly, is also an accused in the police complaint lodged by a former employee of the family. He has denied the allegations, calling them a political conspiracy.
On Monday, their party Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), announced it was suspending Prajwal Revanna. Founded by Gowda, the party is fighting the election in an alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Karnataka's Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah said that a special investigation team (SIT) will look into the case, based on a request by the state's women's commission.
The allegations against Prajwal Revanna came to the fore a day after his constituency Hassan voted in the general election on 26 April. Revanna is the MP from Hassan in the outgoing parliament and is seeking another term.
It's not clear who leaked the videos, but according to a report by the Indian Express newspaper, more than 2,000 pen drives were circulated ahead of the election. The clips, which reports say were shot by Revanna himself, showed the faces of the women he had allegedly abused.
"The pen drives were kept on bus seats, at bus stands and were given to people in public places like parks," an official told the daily. "These pen drives had more than 2,000 files which included videos and photos. After a few hours, we saw these being widely shared on WhatsApp."
Following the incident, Karnataka's women's commission chief Nagalakshmi Chaudhary wrote to the state police chief seeking action against the perpetrators.
"Your blood boils when you see some of the videos," she told the BBC. "There is one woman who is begging... 'please don't, please don't'. You feel sick."
On Sunday, a 47-year-old woman, who worked as a cook for the family and identified herself as a cousin of Revanna's mother, filed a police complaint alleging that she was sexually abused by the MP and his father.
"When I joined, six other maids would say they were scared of Prajwal. The male employees, too, would ask us to be wary of [HD] Revanna and his son Prajwal," she said in her complaint.
"Whenever his wife was away, [HD] Revanna would repeatedly touch me inappropriately, disrobe me and sexually assault me. While I was working in the kitchen, Prajwal would grope me from behind," she added.
The woman said she decided to come forward after watching clips of other victims online.
She also accused Prajwal Revanna of abusing her daughter, and his father of stalking and criminal intimidation.
Police say Prajwal Revanna has left the country, with some reports saying that he is in Germany. But his father has denied the claim and said they were willing to face investigation. "We won't run away scared. We're right here. We'll counter these charges as per the law," he told reporters.
The case has sparked a political storm in Karnataka. Many questioned how someone "accused of such a horrific act" was permitted to leave without questioning.
A state minister wrote on X, formerly Twitter, asking Modi to explain why the alliance had fielded Prajwal Revanna for the election "knowing that hundreds of women had been abused by the candidate".
The comments followed a report by The Hindu newspaper which said that a BJP leader had informed the state leadership about the video clips last year.
A BJP spokesperson told the NDTV news channel, "We, as a party, have nothing to do with the videos and neither do we have any comments on the inquiry."
The JD(S) has also distanced itself from the two politicians. HD Revanna's brother, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, on Monday called them "an embarrassment to society".
"Don't blame the family," he told reporters. "HD Revanna and his family are separate. I don't keep track of his movements."
Senior party leader GT Deve Gowda said party leaders would take disciplinary action against the two men if the charges were proven. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.