SIT to probe Prajwal's mother Bhavani in kidnapping case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, has informed his mother Bhavani Revanna that they want to inquire her in a kidnapping case on June 1.
In a notice to Bhavani Revanna, the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, the SIT Inspector and Investigation Officer Hemanth Kumar M said there was a need to conduct an inquiry.
"Since there was a need to conduct an inquiry with you, you are hereby informed to be present at 'Chennambika Nilaya' (her house) at Holenarasipur in Hassan district on June 1 from 10 am to 5 pm," the SIT Inspector said on Thursday.
He said he would conduct an inquiry in the presence of women police.
The case pertains to kidnapping a woman from KR Nagar in which her husband and Holenarasipura JD(S) MLA H D Revanna is an accused and is out on bail.
After the explicit videos showing women being sexually abused allegedly by their 33-year-old son Prajwal came out in open, the victim from KR Nagar in Mysuru was abducted by Revanna's confidant.
The case was registered on a complaint lodged by the 20-year-old son of the victim. The complainant also said that his mother figured in the video where she was tied and raped allegedly by Prajwal.
Bhavani and her son have already moved the Special court seeking anticipatory bail.
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Supreme Court rejects plea for reverting to ballots in elections
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country.
"What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale.
Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters during polls.
When petitioner-in-person K A Paul said he filed the PIL, the bench said, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?".
The petitioner said he is the president of an organisation which has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows.
"Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different," the bench retorted.
After Paul revealed he had been to over 150 countries, the bench asked him whether each of the nations had ballot paper voting or used electronic voting.
The petitioner said foreign countries had adopted ballot paper voting and India should follow suit.
"Why you don't want to be different from the rest of the world?" asked the bench.
There was corruption and this year (2024) in June, the Election Commission announced they had seized Rs 9,000 crore, Paul responded.
"But how does that make your relief which you are claiming here relevant?" asked the bench, adding "if you shift back to physical ballot, will there be no corruption?".
Paul claimed CEO and co-founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, stated that EVMs could be tampered with and added TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, the current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, and former state chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had claimed EVMs could be tampered with.
"When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with. Now this time, Jagan Mohan Reddy lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with," noted the bench.
When the petitioner said everybody knew money was distributed in elections, the bench remarked, "We never received any money for any elections."
The petitioner said another prayer in his plea was the formulation of a comprehensive framework to regulate the use of money and liquor during election campaigns and ensuring such practices were prohibited and punishable under the law.
The plea further sought a direction to mandate an extensive voter education campaign to raise awareness and importance of informed decision making.
"Today, 32 per cent educated people are not casting their votes. What a tragedy. If democracy will be dying like this and we will not be able to do anything then what will happen in the years to come in future," the petitioner said.
