The Karnataka Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly collected substantial circumstantial evidence in the investigation of three rape cases against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, 33. Prajwal, who left India on April 27 after the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and following the release of incriminating videos, is scheduled to return on May 31. He is expected to arrive from Munich at 12:35 am on Friday, where he will likely be detained by the SIT, which holds an arrest warrant.
The primary evidence in the three FIRs of rape consists of statements from the victims, which led to the registration of the cases. The SIT has reinforced its investigation with secondary evidence, including video recordings of the assaults and the locations where they occurred. The videos, reportedly filmed by Prajwal himself, are central to the investigation. The SIT is also searching for the iPhone reported missing by Prajwal Revanna, which was used to record the incidents. Extensive crime scene mappings have been conducted to verify the locations shown in the videos. Despite Prajwal’s face not appearing in the footage, the SIT is using physical attributes and voices from the videos to identify him. Additional technical evidence, such as cell phone tower data, is also being used to establish the presence of the accused and victims at the crime scenes.
The SIT has collected statements from over a dozen witnesses who were present at Prajwal’s quarters in Hassan and his family residences in Bengaluru and Hassan. Early in the investigation, the SIT conducted detailed crime scene mappings using video, photography, and drawings to validate the crime locations. “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 alleged assaults occurred.
Voice samples from victims who resisted the assaults, as captured in the videos, have been collected for verification. After Prajwal’s arrest, his voice samples, physical attributes, and possibly DNA will be collected to strengthen the case. One victim alleged that she was assaulted at the MP’s family residence in Bengaluru after being brought from Hassan for domestic work.
The SIT is also investigating cloud data (iCloud) to trace the origin and distribution 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 fallout with Prajwal Revanna 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 examining technical data from iPhone and iCloud users involved in sharing the videos to identify the original sources. With Apple’s robust security measures, tracking the device or account where the recordings were stored could provide key evidence. Prajwal’s anticipatory bail plea, filed from abroad, is scheduled for hearing on May 31, just hours after his expected arrival, indicating he will likely be arrested by the SIT, which secured an arrest warrant on May 18.
Follow for more.
