The Karnataka government has written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and urged the Centre to cancel the diplomatic passport of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna for skipping summons issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing complaints of sexual abuse of women against him.

“MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. This is being processed,” sources told Financial Express.

Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is the primary accused in a high-profile sex scandal. He is seeking reelection from the Hassan constituency as an NDA candidate. Revanna fled the country a day after elections took place in his constituency on April 26.

Also Read: Haasan MP Prajwal Revanna travelled on diplomatic passport, no political clearance sought, says MEA

“We have urged the Central government to revoke his diplomatic passport. Once this is done, Prajwal Revanna will have to return to India,” Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said earlier on Tuesday.

The state government wrote to the MEA seeking the cancellation of his diplomatic passport, two days after the Special Court for Elected Representatives, Bengaluru, issued an arrest warrant against Prajwal in a rape case registered by a former domestic help in their house on April 28.

Parameshwara said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the passport cancellation. “But as per the law, the department writing it is different. A warrant has been issued now and based on that, a letter has been written seeking the cancellation of his diplomatic passport,” the state home minister said, ANI reported.

Also Read: Karnataka ‘sex scandal’: Prajwal Revanna’s driver, whistleblower behind leaked sex tapes, ‘goes missing’

Earlier, the SIT, probing the case, had issued Look Out Circulars. A global Blue Corner Notice, seeking the whereabouts of the MP was also issued by Interpol in response to a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Meanwhile, JD(S) state chief HD Kumaraswamy on Monday made an appeal for his nephew to return to India and ‘surrender’. In his emotional message, Kumaraswamy urged Revanna to respect his grandfather HD Deve Gowda and surrender to the authorities.

(With inputs from ANI)