Show-cause notice to Prajwal Revanna; MEA asks why diplomatic passport should not be cancelled

New Delhi: In light of allegations of sexual abuse against him, the Karnataka government has requested that Prajwal Revanna's diplomatic passport be cancelled. On Friday, people familiar with the matter revealed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) served Revanna with a show-cause notice, asking him to explain why this should not happen.

Official sources on Thursday had said the MEA is processing the Karnataka government's request to cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport.

Currently, he is believed to be in Germany.

The show-cause notice has been served on Prajwal as part of the process initiated to cancel his passport, the people cited above said.

It is learnt that the show-cause notice was served through email.

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.

It is learnt that the MEA is undertaking the process to cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport under the provisions of the Passports Act of 1967 as well as related regulations.

If the passport is cancelled, then Prajwal's stay abroad will be illegal and he may face legal action by concerned authorities in the country he is staying, a person familiar with the matter said.

On Wednesday, 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 Interpol following a request by the SIT.

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

"No political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany. Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. The Ministry has not issued visa note for any other country," the MEA spokesperson said.

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.

With PTI inputs