Bhavani faces SIT after HC interim bail in kidnap case

BENGALURU: JD(S) MLA HD Revanna’s wife Bhavani secured interim conditional anticipatory bail from Karnataka High Court on Friday in the alleged abduction of a sexual-harassment survivor, and appeared soon after before Karnataka Police’s special investigation team (SIT).
Bhavani was quizzed for over three hours at CID headquarters in Bengaluru. Son and former MP Prajwal was lodged in a locked chamber a little distance away.He is in custody in multiple sexual offence cases, whose probes have now focused on recovering his missing mobile in which some of the acts were allegedly filmed.
Bhavani did not meet Prajwal. Instead, she sat inside the SIT chambers answering a barrage of questions. According to a senior officer, Bhavani was not questioned much on the kidnap case on Friday.
“We sought explanations from her on the victims of her son and related issues. We have directed her to appear before us whenever summoned,” the officer said.
Bhavani left the CID headquarters around 4.30pm. She had arrived at 1pm after the HC’s Justice Krishna S Dixit set the time and told her to cooperate with the probe while granting interim bail. The judge added that she should not be questioned beyond 5pm.
The HC asked Bhavani not to venture near KR Nagar of Mysuru district, where the abduction case has been filed, and the family turf of Hassan, where the sexual harassment allegations are centred. The HC kept in abeyance a lower court’s warrant against Bhavani.
SIT had claimed Bhavani was the “mastermind” in the case and her custodial interrogation was necessary. Her husband Revanna has already been granted regular bail.
(With inputs from Rajiv Kalkod)