Action to follow after 10-day deadline for response to notice expires: MEA on cancellation of Prajwal’s diplomatic passport

PTI, May 30, 2024, 6:54 PM IST

Suspended JD(U) MP Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, has time till June 2 to respond to a show-cause notice served by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for revocation of his diplomatic passport following which appropriate action will be taken.

The MEA said this on Thursday ahead of his expected return to India from Germany on May 31.

The MEA served a show-cause notice to Revanna on May 23 asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him.

”We received a request from the Karnataka government on May 21. On May 23, as per the Indian Passport Act, we initiated action for cancellation of (diplomatic) passport of member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

”On May 23, we issued a show-cause notice to him. He has to respond to the notice within 10 days. We are waiting for his response. Accordingly, we will take things forward once we hear from him or the 10day period expires,” he said.

Jaiswal’s comments came in response to a question at his weekly media briefing.

The MEA has begun the process to revoke Prajwal’s passport after receiving a letter from the Karnataka government.

Prajwal, the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, is at the centre of a mass sexual abuse case and the Hassan MP left India on April 27, a day after voting for the Lok Sabha elections took place in his constituency.

Last week, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take ”prompt and necessary” actions to cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport.

The chief minister sent a similar letter to the prime minister on May 1.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Karnataka government to probe the sexual abuse charges against Prajwal wrote the MEA to cancel his diplomatic passport after an arrest warrant was issued against him by a local court.

A ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on Revanna’s whereabouts has already been issued by the Interpol following a request by the SIT.

Earlier this month, Jaiswal said Prajwal travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and he did not seek political clearance for the trip.

Prajwal’s father H D Revanna, a former Karnataka minister, was also booked on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. He is currently out on bail.