Prajwal will be arrested at Airport upon his return: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexually abusing several women, will be arrested as soon as he arrives at the airport here.
The statement comes two days after Prajwal released a video statement promising that he would appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the cases against him, on May 31.
According to official sources, the Hassan MP has booked a return flight ticket to Bengaluru from Munich on May 30, and is expected to land in the city in the small hours of May 31.
Addressing reporters here, Parameshwara said, "All necessary measures have to be taken, as a warrant has been issued against him (Prajwal). He has to be arrested. SIT is waiting, they will arrest him and will take his statement, and their (SIT) process will start."
Asked if Prajwal would be arrested at the airport on landing, he said, "it (arrest) has to be done there (at airport), as a warrant has been issued. So he will have to be arrested."
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 information on his whereabouts has already been issued by Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal Revanna, following an application moved by the SIT.
To a question on the arrest of two persons by SIT in connection with the pen drive circulation case, the Home Minister said more than the question of Congress, BJP and JD(S), whoever is involved in this case, will be arrested.
"Already 11-12 people have been arrested, whoever they (SIT) feel are involved in the case, during the investigation, they will arrest them and inquire them," he added.
The cases of sexual abuse came to light after several pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos involving Prajwal were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26.
To a query regarding the case in which money to the tune of crores was embezzled at a state-run corporation under Scheduled Tribes Welfare department, and an official committed suicide in connection with the case, the Home Minister said CID probe is on.
"The department has lodged a complaint. Rs 187 crore (misappropriated), out of that Rs 94 crore or so has been transferred (without authorisation). Each one gives a different figure. Someone mentioned Rs 84 crore, while others said Rs 97 crore. It will be known from the investigation. Truth will come out," he said.
Reacting to reports that money was transferred to accounts of various IT companies, he said, "It is said that prima facie the money has gone to eight to ten accounts. It will be known from the investigation."
On BJP demanding the resignation of Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra, Parameshwara said, "they (BJP) will keep asking for resignation for every incident. Let the investigation happen. It is alleged (in the death note of the officer) that the Minister gave oral orders on transferring the funds, truth will be known from the probe."
When pointed out that Congress while in opposition had sought then Minister K S Eshwarappa's resignation following the suicide of a contractor naming him, he said, "in that case the Minister Eshwarappa was named, that's not the case here. We will have to wait for the probe."
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3rd T20I: A three-match 'audition' starts for Gill to find his game back
Dharamsala (PTI): The countdown to save his place in the playing XI begins for a beleaguered Shubman Gill, who is likely to get three matches against South Africa to prove his worth before the Indian team management switches to a ‘Plan B’ ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting in six weeks.
As India gear up to play the third T20I against the Proteas on Sunday in sub-10-degree temperatures in the lap of the ice-clad Dhauladhar range, things are suddenly heating up in the Indian dressing room, with the prolonged poor form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav coming under the scanner.
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Worse, his deputy Shubman Gill, who was pushed into the XI at the expense of a settled Sanju Samson, is not inspiring much confidence.
The South African pace attack featuring Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman and Lutho Sipamla — has shown how to bowl on Indian tracks, and the HPCA Stadium strip, offering extra bounce and some movement off the surface, will certainly keep them interested.
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Among all T20 sides, South Africa, in terms of personnel, appears to have the requisite balance to win the trophy in the Indian subcontinent this time. Quinton de Kock’s return, along with the likes of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller and all-rounder Jansen, gives their batting an intimidating look.
With only eight games, starting from the third T20I, left before the start of the T20 World Cup title defence, India's under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir won't be able to afford, two out-of-form top-order batters in the starting line-up.
Being the skipper of the side, Surya will certainly have immunity going into the T20 World Cup despite being completely out of form for the past one year but same can't be said about Gill, who wasn't the original choice as an opener.
Gill's entry into the T20 set-up was a classic case of trying to fix something that ain't broken and things haven't looked good so far.
In this backdrop, Gill would need to bat out of his skin to prove that Ajit Agarkar-led committee wasn't wrong in throwing Samson under the bus for one bad series against England.
The stylish Indian Test and ODI skipper will have to find his T20 game and at least score in two of the three matches if he doesn't want Samson to get his rightful place back or for that matter, find Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a fabulous T20I strike-rate of 165, enter the fray during New Zealand series.
Lack of clarity
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While head coach Gambhir is too proud a person to admit but sending Axar Patel as a one drop batter during the second T20I was a "tactical brain fade" from the team's think-tank.
The kind misstep that was taken with Axar's promotion is unlikely to be repeated in the third game where skipper is expected to go back to No.3 where he has got a lot of success in his first few years at the international level.
Similarly, Shivam Dube being sent at number eight due to the shuffling of batting order was another poor call which would need course correction in the next game.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
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Kuldeep Yadav is one bowler who has consistently troubled the Proteas batter but in an Indian team where batting till No. 8 is non-negotiable, the left-arm wrist spinner often finds himself getting the rough end of the stick.
At Dharamsala too, he might have to sit out as Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, two non-batters can't be clubbed in the same T20 playing eleven as that would lead to compromise in batting depth.
While Arshdeep hasn't had a good series so far, it will be interesting to find if team management can find a place for Kuldeep in the playing eleven with Hardik Pandya sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.
The five-match series is currently tied 1-1.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde.
Match Starts at 7 pm.
