Chitradurga, May 11: BJP leader and advocate Deveraje Gowda, who has been accused of molestation and sexual harassment, was taken into custody near Hiriyur in the Chitradurga district on Friday night, police said. Deveraje Gowda has been in the news recently in connection with the alleged obscene video case involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. Gowda had in December last year flagged the matter with the BJP central leadership before it joined hands with Janata Dal (Secular).

The Special Investigation Team, which is investigating the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal case, had asked Deveraje Gowda to appear before it. As per police sources, he will be taken to Hassan district, where the sexual harassment case against him was registered on the complaint of a woman in April, for further investigation. Prajwal Revanna Sex Video Scandal: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara Asks NCW To Share Information With SIT on Threats to Victim.

Gowda has been booked under sections 354 (A), 354C, 448, 504, 506, 34 of the IPC and 66(E) of the Information Technology Act, 2008. The offences include assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment, voyeurism, house trespass, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation.

In her complaint, the victim alleged that she was physically harassed and threatened by Devaraje Gowda and others. As per the police FIR, the case was registered on April 1 for the offence that took place on February 4 at the victim's house in Holenarasipura town of Hassan. The FIR has named three others in the case apart from Deveraje Gowda. Prajwal Revanna 'Sex' Video Row: Three More Victims of Alleged Sexual Assault Approach SIT Formed To Probe Obscene Video Case of Hassan MP, Say Sources.

Earlier on May 6, Devaraje Gowda had come out against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, accusing it of "trying to frame the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi" in Prajwal Revanna's case. However, the Congress party has trashed all the allegations made by Deveraje Gowda terming it a "bundle of lies".

Devaraje Gowda also claimed that the Karnataka government is attempting to suppress evidence and manipulate the investigation, describing the SIT as "remote-controlled" by the state government. Prajwal Revanna, the suspended Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader is the incumbent MP from the Hassan constituency. He is seeking re-election as an NDA candidate from the same seat. Polling on the seat was completed on April 26.

Devaraje Gowda had earlier claimed of writing to the BJP central leadership regarding the Prajwal Revanna matter, while the Karnataka BJP leadership dismissed the claims, calling it "patently false." Prajwal Revanna and his father, HD Revanna, are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household.

HD Revanna has been sent to judicial custody until May 14 in a kidnapping case linked to the "obscene video case," while Prajwal Revanna is in another country. HD Revanna was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) on May 4 in connection with an alleged kidnapping case registered against him at KR Nagar police station in Bengaluru.