Bengaluru, 2 November

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday denied allegations that a phone used to upload a sting operation video targeting former chief minister Siddaramaiah was handed over at his official residence in New Delhi, accusing the Congress government of orchestrating a cover-up.

Questioning the Bengaluru police's claims, the JD(S) leader said accused Ritesh Pandey was arrested in Ghaziabad and not at his residence, as he alleged was being suggested.

“Where was the accused Ritesh Pandey arrested from Delhi? Was he arrested at my residence? The investigation team did not arrest him at Kumaraswamy's house. He was arrested in Ghaziabad,” he said

On Sunday, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said Pandey had told investigators that, on the instructions of Prajwal Prasad, he and Vinod Sharma purchased a second-hand mobile phone from a shop in Delhi's Karol Bagh and handed it over to Prasad at Kumaraswamy's official residence.

Prasad and Sharma are associated with Kumaraswamy's social media team. Pandey was arrested on 24 October and was the first accused to be taken into custody after the Central Crime Branch (CCB) took over the investigation.

Kumaraswamy questioned why investigators had searched the residence of one of his staff members and seized his wife's bank passbook. He also alleged that his social media team members were being repeatedly summoned and questioned for hours.

“DK Shivakumar, you came to power by doing all this sting operation,” he said, accusing the ruling Congress of using state machinery against him. He also questioned Siddaramaiah over a stay order obtained by him, saying he had only sought the release of an old voice recording.

The controversy centres on a video that surfaced online in September, purportedly showing a sting operation concerning an incident alleged to have occurred in 2011.

Meanwhile, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda alleged that Kumaraswamy masterminded the video's release, with his social media team and official residence being used in the operation. He accused the Union minister of attempting to damage Siddaramaiah's credibility while shifting the blame to Shivakumar.

Home Minister Priyank Kharge said technical examination had yielded significant leads and warned that anyone found involved would face legal action.

Minister Rizwan Arshad said on X, “This is a shameful attempt to use political conspiracy and character assassination as tools to settle political scores. No individual or political party should be allowed to stoop to such depths to malign the reputation of respected leaders for narrow political gains.”