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Mangaluru, May 23: BJP leader and Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja who appeared before the police station for an enquiry last night in connection with a case a case of threatening police, was released on station bail.

According to the police, the MLA was served notices in connection with a case registered for staging a protest without seeking permission and for allegedly declaring that he was ready to hold the collar of the police for the sake of 'karyakartas'.

On completion of the enquiry, he was released on station bail. He was booked under Sections 143, 147, 341, 504, 506 and 149 of IPC.

Drama at residence 

There was high drama at the home of Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja when police reached on Wednesday, requesting the former to come to the police station for an inquiry, but with the MLA staying put at his residence without yielding to police request, and with members of the BJP legal cell at his house mulling options to avoid his imminent arrest, the situation was fluid with a large number of party workers gathering near the MLA’s residence.

Belthangady police had booked MLA Poonja after he attempted to pressurise the station officer to release a BJP worker, who was arrested in an illegal quarrying case and stocking of explosives at the site, at Moodala in Melanthabettu village of Belthangady last week.

Mysuru, May 24: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated on Friday that the family of fugitive JD(S) MP and prime accused in the sex videos case, Prajwal Revanna, knows everything about him.

When asked about the warning to Prajwal Revanna by his grandfather, former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda, that he would be isolated from the family, CM Siddaramaiah questioned, “Has Prajwal gone without informing his family? Hasn’t he been in contact with his family members?

“His uncle Kumaraswamy had stated that Prajwal was not in touch with him from the beginning. However, while campaigning for him, Kumaraswamy claimed that Prajwal was like his son.

“Doesn’t this statement prove that there was communication between them? Prajwal’s matter is known to his family.”

Prajwal Revanna is facing serious charges and the FIR against him contains charges of rape, sexual assault, disrobing women and forcibly videographing sexual acts in order to threaten the victims.

“I have not stated that Prajwal Revanna is a criminal. I have been saying that he is an accused in the case,” the CM clarified.

Answering a question on former CM Kumaraswamy’s accusation that the government was tapping his phone, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Kumaraswamy is saying anything that comes to his mind to divert attention from the Prajwal Revanna case. Kumaraswamy must first learn to respect the law of the land.”

CM Siddaramaiah stressed, “I have written letters twice to PM Modi seeking the cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s passport and haven’t received a response yet. The PM has not responded to my letters. I am confident that a letter from the CM will get a response. Let me see if my second letter is answered.”

Regarding his son, former MLA Dr. Yathindra getting the post of MLC, CM Siddaramaiah stated that the high command had promised that Yathindra would be made an MLC.

“We have to wait for the decision of the high command,” he maintained.

“I was contemplating contesting from the Kolar Assembly seat. I was asked to contest from Varuna, and Yathindra was asked to vacate the seat for me. Yathindra, following the words of the high command, vacated the seat for me. It remains to be seen what the high command will do,” he stated.

The Ministry of External Affairs has received a letter from the Karnataka government requesting the cancellation of the diplomatic passport of suspended Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, official sources said on Thursday. However, the diplomatic passport has not yet been canceled.

The Karnataka government's request to the Narendra Modi-led union government came after Prajwal Revanna, facing multiple charges of sexually abusing women, fled the country using his diplomatic passport last month.

"The MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. This is being processed," official sources said.

Prajwal, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is at the center of a political storm after hundreds of explicit videos allegedly featuring him leaked late last month. The 33-year-old MP faces multiple cases of rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, and criminal intimidation.

Prajwal, the NDA nominee for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, reportedly fled to Germany on April 27, hours before the first case was filed against him.

The Karnataka police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now probing the high-profile case, and a lookout notice and a Blue Corner notice have been issued to track Revanna down.

In the wake of the allegations, Prajwal Revanna said in a social media post on May 1, "As I am not in Bangalore to attend the enquiry, I have communicated to C.I.D Bangalore through my Advocate. The truth will prevail soon."

His father, HD Revanna, a JDS MLA and son of HD Deve Gowda, is also accused in cases of molestation and kidnapping. He was arrested earlier this month and is now out on bail.

The veteran leader faces a case in which a man has alleged that he was involved in kidnapping his mother, who worked as a house help at his home for six years. The complainant alleged that a video showing Prajwal Revanna sexually abusing his mother leaked recently, and his mother went missing soon after.

HD Revanna, however, has termed the case a "political conspiracy."