Exactly a month after he left the country, suspended Janata Dal-Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing several women, has promised to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the cases against him, on May 31.
Terming the cases against him as 'false' and part of a 'political conspiracy', he claimed that he had gone into depression.
"I will personally come before the SIT on Friday, May 31 at 10 am and cooperate with the investigation and also respond to it (charges). I have faith in the judiciary and I am confident that I will be absolved of false cases, through court," Pajwal said in a video statement that is now being circulated widely.
There was no independent confirmation from the JD-S or the family of the Hassan MP immediately over the matter.
"Let the blessings of God, people and my family be on me. I will surely appear before SIT on May 31, Friday. After coming, I will try to put an end to all this. Repose faith in me," he said in his video statement in Kannada.
Apologising to his parents, grandfather H D Deve Gowda, uncle H D Kumaraswamy, people of the state, and party workers, Prajwal said, "I have come before you to share information, as I had not disclosed as to where I'm in foreign (country)."
Noting that he had sought a week to respond to the SIT notice through his 'X' account and his lawyers, Prajwal said, 'Despite seeking time, the very next day Congress senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi started discussing things (about me), at public meetings.'
'They hatched political conspiracy. Looking at all this, I went into depression and isolation. So, I sought your apology first and your forgiveness,' he said.
Alleging that a political conspiracy was hatched against him in his constituency of Hassan too by some forces, the MP said, "As I was growing politically, to finish me, they all got together. Looking at all these things, I was shocked, so I stayed away. So, no one should mistake (me) for it."
The election took place on April 26, at that time there was no case registered against me, and SIT was also not formed, Prajwal said.
"My trip abroad on April 26 was also planned earlier. So, I left (abroad) after three or four days... when I was watching YouTube, a news channel, I learnt (about the development back home). After that SIT also issued a notice."
Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshara welcomed Prajwal's statement that he would appear before the SIT and cooperate with the probe later this week.
"He is coming back, it is good. Let him come and give his statement, subsequently what the SIT does we will wait and see."
Asked about the source of Prajwal's video statement, Parameshwara said, "I don't know, you (media) showed me. I got information a couple of hours ago that he had released a statement, but I had not seen the video."
To a question on why the source of the video can't be traced, he said, "You and I may not know, but SIT would..."
Addressing reporters in Chikkaballapura today, Kumaraswamy said there was "some solace" as Prajwal responded to the family's directions to come back and face the investigation.
"The truth should come out from the investigation in the days to come. Whose role is what in this case will be known from the SIT probe, let's see what they do," he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said there should be a fair probe. Though delayed, Prajwal has accepted that nobody is above the law.
Prajwal, 33, the grandson of JD-S patriarch H D Deve Gowda and the NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of sexually abusing women.
He reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls, and is still at large.
A 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking formation on his whereabouts has already been issued by Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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 in relation to a crime.
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal Revanna, following an application moved by the SIT.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show cause notice to Prajwal asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him.
The scandal has triggered a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaging in a slugfest.
While the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases, the BJP and JD-S -- National Democratic Alliance partners -- have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action be taken against those behind the circulation of explicit videos.
The cases of sexual abuse came to light after pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos involving Prajwal were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there.
Recently, Deve Gowda had issued a 'stern warning' to Prajwal Revanna, asking him to return to the country and face the probe into sexual abuse allegations, while asserting there will be no interference from him or other family members into the enquiry.
The JD-S supremo reiterated that his grandson should be given the harshest punishment under the law 'if found guilty'.
