G Devaraje Gowda was arrested Friday night for molestation and sexual harassment. Police said, Gowda was arrested at Gulihal toll gate by the Hiriyur Police in Chitradurga district. In her complaint, the victim alleged that she was physically harassed and threatened by Devaraje Gowda and others.
Gowda has been booked under sections 354 (A), 354C, 448, 504, 506, 34 of the IPC and 66(E) of the Information Technology Act, 2008. The offences include assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment, voyeurism, house trespass, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation. However, Devaraje Gowda categorically rejected the allegations.
As per the police FIR, the case was registered on April 1 for the offence that took place on February 4 at the victim's house in Holenarasipura town of Hassan. Three others have also been named in the case. Deveraje Gowda has been in the news recently in connection with the alleged obscene video case involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.
Gowda had in December last year flagged the matter with the BJP central leadership before it joined hands with Janata Dal (Secular). The Special Investigation Team, which is investigating the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal case, had asked Deveraje Gowda to appear before it. Prajwal Revanna, the suspended Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader is the incumbent MP from the Hassan constituency.
He is seeking re-election as an NDA candidate from the same seat. Polling on the seat was completed on April 26. Devaraje Gowda had earlier claimed of writing to the BJP central leadership regarding the Prajwal Revanna matter, while the Karnataka BJP leadership dismissed the claims, calling it "patently
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