'SIT is an investigating agency like...', says Siddaramaiah on sexual abuse case against Revanna

Questioning BJP's locus standi to make such a demand, he asked the opposition party as to why it doesn't trust the police

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on May 12, ruled out the transfer of the probe into sexual abuse charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to the CBI and reposed his faith in the Special Investigation Team of the state police, which is investigating the case.

"We are getting the probe done by our police (SIT), we have belief and faith in our police. They are efficient," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on BJP demanding a CBI probe.

Speaking to media persons, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the BJP had once called CBI the "Corruption Bureau of Investigation", and the party never handed over a single case to the central agency while in power, despite Congress’ repeated demands.

He further said, "It’s not that I don’t have faith in CBI, the cases that need to be handed over to CBI will be given. When I was the Chief Minister earlier, I had given seven cases to the CBI, but there was no conviction even in a single case… that doesn’t mean I don't have faith in the CBI… SIT is also an investigating agency like CBI, we will get the probe done by our police," as quoted by news agency PTI.

The 33-year-old JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.

While the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases, the BJP and JD(S) — NDA partners — have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action against those behind the circulation of explicit videos.

Responding to allegations that BJP leader Devaraje Gowda was arrested to save the ruling Congress and its leaders, who are allegedly behind the circulation of explicit videos, the CM said the BJP’s job is to make false allegations. He (Devaraje Gowda) has been arrested following allegations of sexual abuse against a woman, a complaint was filed on April 1.

We are not interfering in the investigation of the police (SIT). Police have been given full freedom, it is their duty to investigate and get the guilty punished. To a query on Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s alleged statement accusing the Congress government of a "witch hunt" against BJP workers in connection with the case, Siddaramaiah said, Pralhad Joshi is a central Minister and he should speak responsibly.

"….BJP leaders are experts in lying, they only make false allegations," he said, adding that SIT is conducting a fair probe, to mislead and cause confusion in the minds of the people, intentionally such statements are being made.

*With PTI inputs