MLC Suraj Revanna, accused of sexually abusing man, remanded in judicial custody for 14 days

Bengaluru: JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna, who has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a male party worker, was produced before a magistrate court judge here on Sunday, who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

The investigation into the case was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) earlier in the day, following which Suraj was shifted to Bengaluru from Hassan, and produced before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (ACMM) judge, at his residence.

Suraj was booked on Saturday at Holenarasipura Rural Police Station in Hassan district for allegedly sexually abusing a party worker a few days ago. He has been booked under different sections of the IPC, including “unnatural offences”.

Suraj was questioned at CEN police station in Hassan overnight, before he was arrested this morning, the sources said, adding that he was later taken to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) for medical examination.

A 27-year-old man had complained to the police that Suraj Revanna, the eldest son of Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, sexually abused him at his farmhouse in Ghannikada on June 16.

Based on the complaint, the Holenarasipura police registered a case against the JD(S) MLC under IPC sections 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) late on Saturday evening.

However, Suraj Revanna (37), the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and the nephew of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, has categorically denied the charge. Suraj had also alleged that the man had filed a “false complaint” in a bid to extort Rs 5 crore from him.

On Friday, the police registered a case of extortion against the JD(S) worker on a complaint by Suraj Revanna’s close aide Shivakumar. Shivakumar had alleged that the party worker was trying to extort money from Suraj Revanna by threatening to lodge a false case of sexual abuse against him.

It has been alleged that while the man demanded Rs 5 crore from Suraj Revanna, later it was reduced to Rs 2 crore.