‘Prajwal scandal has affected many families in Hassan’: Banu Mushtaq

The writer and activist fears that this issue will distract voters in north Karnataka, diverting the campaign from more substantive issues.

Banu Mushtaq. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement

Hassan-based Banu Mushtaq is a well-known Kannada writer and social activist who is also a practising advocate. She is a member of the small but vibrant community of civil society activists in Hassan, which organised a protest in the town on April 29 demanding an impartial probe into the Prajwal Revanna sex videos case. In this exclusive interview with Frontline, Mushtaq weighs in on different facets of the issue. Excerpts:

Civil society groups protested in Hassan on April 29. You were also part of the protest. What were the main demands of the protestors?

It is unfortunate that even though more than 2,000 people participated in the protest, many of them belonging to Left groups and women’s organisations were not from Hassan. The voice of the women of Hassan has been missing throughout the agitation against the activities of Prajwal Revanna. I am one of the few women from Hassan who has been vocal about the issue. If Prajwal’s crimes are proved in a court of law, it is a heinous crime. An impartial probe must take place and even address questions about the authenticity of the videos so that his guilt is established. We are planning another protest in Bengaluru on May 3 where we will address all the issues in this scandal.

According to various reports, there are more than 2,900 videos. Considering this magnitude, it has also become an election issue. What do you think of this?

Elections should be fought on only one issue, i.e., development. Political parties should focus on a pro-people campaign but it is unfortunate that this scandal has become a primary issue among the voters and a political dimension has come into this. In Hassan, the videos were viral a few days before the election took place on April 26 and this has had an impact. I fear that this issue will also distract voters in north Karnataka and in other parts of the country diverting the campaign from more substantive issues.

As a resident of Hassan, when did you become aware that these pen drives were circulating? What was the modus operandi of the persons who shared these pen drives?

There was an ex-parte injunction order from a Bengaluru Civil Court against 89 media outlets and individuals against the sharing of videos of Prajwal. This order was granted in June last year. As per this, no one could telecast or write about these videos and they could not be circulated on social media. So then, how could the videos be shared? Whoever wanted to share these videos came up with an idea to share the videos via pen drives. Thousands of these pen drives with the obscene videos were readied and scattered all over Hassan.

Someone walking in the park in the morning would find these pen drives. Similarly, fistfuls of these pen drives were scattered in places where people congregate such as bus stands and markets. These pen drives were shared in three stages between April 22 and April 26 with each consignment containing new videos and new victims. The person who shared the videos kept a close track of the repercussions of the videos on the public. After these pen drives were found, they were further circulated to hundreds over WhatsApp spreading like wildfire all over the district. Rumours that there was a court order prohibiting the sharing of these videos and that phones would be seized also spread. After this, most people have deleted these videos from their phones and copied it on pen drives.

Now that the SIT has been formed by the State government, an FIR has also been filed in Holenarasipur against H. D. Revanna and Prajwal Revanna. What do you think of this development?

I have not seen the videos but in one of them, an elderly lady who is said to be 68 years old is pleading with Prajwal to save her. She even mentions that she fed his grandfather (former prime minister H. D. Devegowda) and father (MLA H. D. Revanna) but despite this he rapes her. In the FIR that has been recorded, sections of rape have not been included, which is wrong.

What Prajwal did was wrong and this should be proven in a court of law but the investigation team should also focus on who distributed these pen drives. They should also be taken to task and punished. This scandal has affected many families in Hassan. There is a legal protection regarding the modesty of women. Even when a rape victim is examined in a court of law, the proceedings are done in camera meaning that nobody except the advocates, judge and clerical staff is present. This Constitutional protection that is given to safeguard women’s modesty was not there in this case which is highly deplorable.

Eminent women such as chartered accountants, anchors of news channels, politicians and even a policewoman have been shown in these videos. This also shows the power of Revanna and his son as no political or administrative appointment can be made in Hassan without their authority.

Considering that the videos were circulating a few days before the elections took place, should the Election Commission (EC) have taken cognisance of the issue?

Yes, the EC should have taken cognisance of this issue as everyone knew of the videos and they should have promptly disqualified Prajwal’s candidature. No one gave a complaint but on April 25, a day before the election, at least one prominent Kannada news channel aired this issue through the day and night. The EC could have easily taken note of this.