Police in Karnataka’s Hassan district have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two individuals who have been accused of blackmailing JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna, the brother of the former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sex crimes. The blackmail is related to a false sexual assault allegation.
According to the FIR, Suraj Revanna, aged 36, along with his acquaintance Shivakumar, filed a complaint against Chethan and his brother-in-law. The complaint alleges that the accused demanded money in exchange for not tarnishing Revanna's reputation with false allegations.
The sequence of events began when Chethan befriended Shivakumar and asked for help in finding a job due to financial difficulties. Shivakumar agreed to introduce Chethan to Revanna during the recent Lok Sabha election period.
On June 17, Chethan called Shivakumar, claiming that he had visited Revanna's farmhouse the previous day seeking employment but was rejected. Chethan allegedly threatened to defame Revanna and his family by filing a police complaint of sexual molestation if his demand for Rs 5 crore was not met.
Chethan continued to blackmail Shivakumar, eventually lowering his demands to Rs 3 crore and then Rs 2.5 crore. Chethan's brother-in-law also allegedly participated in the blackmail by sending messages from Chethan's phone.
On June 19, Chethan called Shivakumar again, repeating his threats to defame Revanna's family if the money was not paid. Consequently, Shivakumar and Revanna decided to lodge a complaint against Chethan and his brother-in-law. This led to the registration of the FIR under sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
In a counter-allegation, Chethan claimed that Suraj Revanna had sexually assaulted him on June 16 at a farmhouse in Gannikada, Hassan district. Chethan stated, "He had put his hands on my shoulder and moved his hands everywhere. Thereafter, what shouldn't have happened, happened to me." He further alleged that Revanna's associates tried to blackmail and manipulate him by offering money and a job to cover up the incident.
Chethan initially approached the Holenarasipura Town Police Station to file a complaint but was allegedly refused. He then went to the Director General's office in Bengaluru, where he successfully filed his complaint.
This controversy unfolds shortly after former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, accused of rape and sexual abuse, was remanded to judicial custody by a special court in Bengaluru. Prajwal Revanna recently lost his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the elections and was arrested by SIT officials upon his return from Germany on May 31. The initial arrest was based on an April 28 case in Hassan, where he was accused of sexually harassing a former house help. Prajwal Revanna now faces charges in three separate sexual assault cases, including allegations of rape.
