Dabholkar murder case: 2 accused sent to CBI custody till June 1

Agencies
May 26, 2019

Bengaluru, May 26: Pune Magistrate court on Sunday sent two accused in the Dabholkar murder case--Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave -- to CBI custody till June 1.

Additional sessions judge S N Sonawane was hearing the matter pertaining to the murder of Narendra Dabholkar, founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). He was shot dead by bike-borne assailants while returning home from a morning walk on August 20, 2013.

The probe agency had sought custodial interrogation of Sanjiv Punalekar for his role in the destruction of firearms used in the commission of the offence.

In an application moved by the CBI in court today, it submitted, "During the investigation, it is revealed that in the month of June 2018, accused Sharad Kalaskar, visited the chamber of Advocate Punalekar and told him about his role in Dabholkar's murder. He told Kalaskar to destroy firearms used in the murder cases including the murder of Gauri Lankesh. Punelekar custodial interrogation is required to unearth conspiracy which is in the exclusive knowledge of the accused and his involvement with other co-accused persons, in this case, having national and international ramification."

During the course of hearing, CBI lawyer Prakash Suryavanshi contended that while Bhave recced the spot where Dabholkar was shot, Advocate Punalekar was the conspirator.

While demanding 14 days police custody of the accused, Suryavanshi said, "Punalekar also helped the shooters to dismantle the weapon. Both the accused have also dismantled the vehicle used by shooters."

Vikram Bhave's counsel, however, argued that there was no mention of Bhave in the second charge sheet filed by the CBI. "Already one charge sheet has been filed in this case which said the shooters were two other people namely Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar. Advocate Bhave has already been investigated by CBI in September last year. They do not have any evidence like CCTV or call records to ascertain his involvement."

Another accused, Sanjeev Punalekar, said, "Seven months have passed since Karnataka SIT took the statement of Sharad Kalaskar, in which he had alleged my involvement in the case, then why did CBI not question me during this time?"

On May 25, the CBI had arrested the accused duo from Mumbai.

Punalekar is also an advocate for the case and has been advocating for many right-wing accused in different cases.

Earlier, CBI had arrested Amol Kale, Rajesh Bangera and Amit Degvekar in connection with the case, but they were granted bail by the Pune Sessions Court in 2018 as the agency failed to file charge sheet against them within the stipulated 90-day period.

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News Network
May 7,2024

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The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Monday responded to Karnataka’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) regarding a blue corner notice issued against JDS MP Prajwal Revanna.

In its response, Interpol said that all 196 member countries were alerted to identify and report if Prajwal Revanna is spotted at any port in their jurisdiction.

The Karnataka government issued a Blue Corner Notice on Sunday against Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexual abuse by his staff members.

A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities about a crime.

The notice was issued after the 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to the CM to order a probe into the sexual allegations against Prajwal.

Last week, the anticipatory bail application of Prajwal Revanna was also denied by Justice Santosh Gajanana Bhat’s bench of People’s Representative Court in Bengaluru.

Earlier, his MLA father and son of former Prime Minster HD Deve Gowda, HD Revanna was remanded to Karnataka SIT custody in a kidnapping-related sex scandal case.

His arrest came after the kidnapped victim was rescued from Revanna’s close assistant Rajasekhar’s farmhouse in Kalenahalli, Hunsur Taluk after the SIT conducted the rescue operation to find her, the police said.

The abduction case was filed by the son of a woman who worked at the Revannas’ house for nearly five years. He alleged that his mother was kidnapped from her home on April 29 by Satish Babanna a relative of Revanna.

The Karnataka Sex Scandal case pertains to explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, which went viral on social media.

Those videos began to make rounds in Hassan in recent days, following which the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sexual abuse allegations against the MP.

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News Network
May 2,2024

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Hassan, May 2: JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna on Thursday said that the scandal and charges of sexual abuse levelled against his brother and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna was a "conspiracy to weaken their family politically".

He claimed that he has no information about the whereabouts of Prajwal Revanna, who has been served a notice by the Special Investigation Team over the alleged sex scandal involving him.

He termed the scandal and charges of sexual abuse against his brother and his father and MLA H D Revanna, a former Minister, as a conspiracy to weaken them politically, and expressed confidence about Prajwal's win in the Lok Sabha polls.

H D Revanna is the son of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda. Prajwal, grandson of Deve Gowda, was the BJP-JD(S) alliance's candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to the polls on April 26.

"The (sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna) case has been handed over for investigation (to SIT), whatever has to be proved will get proved there. How can I react to it? I don't have information about Prajwal Revanna," Suraj Revanna told reporters here.

On an FIR being registered against his father H D Revanna too, he said, "Let them put a thousand more (FIRs), what has to be proved will ultimately get proved. People of our taluk and district know what Revanna is. I don't want to react."

"Anyone can do anything out of political malice. If you take Hassan politics, there is no competitor for Revanna. There is no one who has done politics like him. To weaken him, all these conspiracies are being hatched," he added.

Scores of explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna had started making the rounds in Hassan recently. The state government has constituted an SIT to probe the alleged sex scandal involving the MP.

The SIT on Tuesday issued notice to Prajwal Revanna and his father Revanna, who have been booked for alleged sexual harassment at the Holenarsipura police station in Hassan district on April 28, based on a complaint by a woman who worked in their house, directing them to appear for investigation.

Prajwal who reportedly left for Germany on April 27, the very next day of the polls, on Wednesday sought seven days' time to appear before the SIT.

Regarding reports of his meeting with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Suraj said they were mere speculations and that he had met the former in January, and after that no such meeting had taken place.

Asked whether JD(S) leaders and workers seem to be in some sort of confusion following the developments around the alleged sex scandal, the MLC said there is no confusion. "Even yesterday there were meetings held to take stock of the situation after the polls. Hundred percent Prajwal Revanna will win."

"Let anyone charge anything, let's wait and see what comes out of the SIT probe," he added.

Victims under pressure?

Meanwhile, victims in the videos of the alleged sex scandal involving the MP, are reportedly refusing to come before the SIT which is probing the case.

Some of the victims are said to have told the SIT officials that they don't want to talk to them about the case, while a few are not reachable, sources said.

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News Network
May 5,2024

Karwar, May 5: What commenced as a mere exchange of words between spouses swiftly transmuted into a calamitous ordeal, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of their innocent offspring. The heart-wrenching incident unfolded in the serene confines of Halamaddy village in the picturesque expanse of Dandeli, nestled within the idyllic expanse of Uttara Kannada district.

In the throes of a fervent dispute with her spouse, the aggrieved wife, succumbing to an overwhelming surge of emotions, callously propelled their tender six-year-old progeny into the somber depths of a nearby canal, thereafter alerting the local populace to her grievous act.

Promptly apprised of the distressing occurrence by concerned bystanders, the authorities were swiftly summoned to the scene to confront the harrowing aftermath.

Responding to the distress call, the diligent officers of Dandeli rural police swiftly converged upon the site where the innocent child had been cast into the unforgiving waters of the canal, subsequently effecting the retrieval of the child's lifeless form. 

Regrettably, it was discerned that a portion of the child's remains had been tragically claimed by the lurking jaws of a predatory crocodile.

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