Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday questioned the Bengaluru police investigation into an alleged sting operation targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking why officers searched the residence of his staff member Mohan Gowda and seized his mobile phone and his wife’s bank passbook.

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of conducting a one-sided investigation and alleged that state machinery was being used against him. He also questioned why his staff members were being repeatedly summoned for questioning.

The remarks came a day after Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh outlined an alleged chain of events involving the purchase and handover of a mobile phone said to have been used in the sting operation. Police said the device was purchased in Delhi and handed over to a person named Prajwal Prasad at Kumaraswamy’s official residence in the national capital.

The case centres on two videos containing allegations against Siddaramaiah that were uploaded on YouTube. The former Chief Minister approached the court and obtained an injunction restraining media organisations from reporting on the videos. He also filed a police complaint seeking an investigation into the alleged sting operation.

Kumaraswamy challenges Siddaramaiah over alleged sting operation probe

Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday challenged the Karnataka government over the police investigation into an alleged sting operation targeting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, questioning why the residence of his staff member Mohan Gowda was searched and his wife’s bank passbook seized.

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader accused the Congress-led state government of conducting a one-sided investigation and alleged that police were targeting members of his team while failing to address questions about those who allegedly carried out the sting operation.

Kumaraswamy also questioned the seizure of Gowda’s mobile phone and his wife’s passbook, asking what connection the woman had with the case. “How is this police behaving?” he asked while speaking to reporters.

His remarks came amid fresh developments in the investigation. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh had said that a mobile phone allegedly used in the operation was purchased in Delhi and handed over to a person named Prajwal Prasad at Kumaraswamy’s official residence in the national capital.

However, the police account of the handover was based on the statement of an arrested accused, Ritesh Pandey, and investigators said the claims were still being verified. The Commissioner also cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about Kumaraswamy’s direct involvement. Bangalore News – The Indian Express+2

Kumaraswamy questions search at staff member’s residence

Kumaraswamy specifically questioned the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru police over its search of Mohan Gowda’s residence and the seizure of his mobile phone and his wife’s bank passbook.

He asked investigators to explain why his staff member’s wife had been drawn into the inquiry and what relevance her financial records had to the alleged sting operation.

The Union Minister also alleged that members of his social media team, including Chandan and Mohan Gowda, were being called for questioning repeatedly.

“Our social media team members, Chandan and Mohan Gowda, are being called for questioning every day,” he said.

He complained that they were made to sit at the police station from morning until evening and then asked to return the following day. Kumaraswamy questioned the manner in which the investigation was being conducted and accused the authorities of putting pressure on people associated with him.

The minister described the probe as an attempt to use Karnataka’s state machinery against him. These are his allegations; the police have said the investigation is continuing and that evidence is being examined.

Police trace mobile phone handover to Delhi residence

The latest police account has brought Kumaraswamy’s official residence in New Delhi into the investigation.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said arrested accused Ritesh Pandey had told investigators that he and another person, Vinod Sharma, purchased a mobile phone from a shop in Delhi’s Karol Bagh on the instructions of Prajwal Prasad.

According to the statement attributed to Pandey, the two later took the phone to Kumaraswamy’s official residence on Kushak Road in New Delhi and handed it over to Prasad, who was present there.

Pandey, a Delhi-based man, was arrested on October 24 in connection with the case. He was the first person arrested in the investigation and was brought to Bengaluru for questioning after being taken into custody in Delhi.

Singh said the police were examining the roles of the individuals named in the statement. Investigators were also looking into technical evidence, CCTV footage and financial transactions reportedly detected between Pandey and Prasad. The New Indian Express+2

The Commissioner clarified that the information about the phone’s purchase and handover came from Pandey’s statement and was being verified. He also said it was too early to conclude whether Kumaraswamy had any direct involvement in the alleged operation.

The distinction is important because the reported handover at a residence does not, by itself, establish that its occupant knew about the phone’s alleged use or directed the operation.

Kumaraswamy targets Congress leadership

Kumaraswamy also criticised the Congress leadership in Karnataka, directing his remarks at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

“Mr DK Shivakumar, you came to power by doing all this sting operation,” he said, alleging that the ruling party was using such tactics against political opponents.

He also questioned Siddaramaiah’s decision to approach the court and obtain an injunction against the publication and circulation of the videos.

“I want to ask Siddaramaiah: Why did you obtain a stay order? I had only said that your old voice recording should be made public,” Kumaraswamy said.

He added that he had made similar remarks earlier and invited people to listen to his previous statements.

The former Chief Minister had approached the court after two videos containing serious allegations against him surfaced online. The court granted an injunction restraining media organisations from reporting on the videos. Siddaramaiah also lodged a police complaint seeking an investigation into the alleged operation.

Kumaraswamy questioned the use of police personnel in the investigation, referring to Siddaramaiah’s earlier remarks in the Assembly praising the state police as honest and upright.

He asked how the same police force was now being used in the ongoing case and asserted that he would not be intimidated.

“You cannot touch me,” he said.

Police had described allegations in videos as fabricated

The investigation has also involved examining the allegations portrayed in the videos targeting Siddaramaiah.

On October 29, Bengaluru police said the evidence collected during the preliminary investigation did not substantiate the alleged sexual abuse depicted in the footage. The police described the allegations as part of a fabricated and deliberately constructed narrative.

Investigators said they had identified and questioned the individuals appearing in the videos, with some being questioned more than once. They were examining how the footage was recorded, transferred and circulated online.

The police were also attempting to reconstruct the chain of possession of the recording and establish the roles of those involved in its circulation. The original mobile phone allegedly used to record the video had reportedly been traced, recovered and sent for forensic examination. Bangalore News – The Indian Express+1

The videos were reportedly uploaded to YouTube and other social media platforms. Their circulation prompted Siddaramaiah to seek legal protection against further publication and file a complaint with the police.

The investigation is examining both the origin of the footage and the process through which it reached social media. Police have said that the allegations depicted in the videos were not supported by the evidence gathered so far.

Priyank Kharge says investigation is progressing

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the investigation was progressing and that technical evidence and several significant leads had emerged.

He said the police were examining the material collected and that further details would become clear as the inquiry advanced. Kharge also maintained that anyone found involved would face legal action, irrespective of their influence or position.

“Several important aspects have emerged during the technical examination of the evidence. The investigation is still underway, and more details will come out as it progresses. Anyone found involved will face legal action, no matter how influential they are,” he said.

Kharge also questioned why some individuals associated with Kumaraswamy had not appeared before investigators after being called for questioning. The police have said notices were issued to Vinod Sharma and Prajwal Prasad, while their questioning was expected to help establish the sequence of events and identify other people who may have been involved. The New Indian Express+1

Probe continues amid political allegations

The alleged sting operation has developed into a political dispute involving the Congress government, the JD(S) and the Union Minister. Kumaraswamy has accused the state government of targeting his staff and conducting a one-sided investigation, while the police have outlined a trail involving the alleged purchase and transfer of a mobile phone in Delhi.

At this stage, the police account of the phone handover rests partly on the statement attributed to Pandey, and investigators have said they are verifying the details. The allegations against Siddaramaiah in the videos have also not been substantiated by the evidence collected so far, according to the police.

The investigation is expected to examine the roles of the people named in the case, the digital evidence and the circumstances in which the videos were recorded and circulated. Whether the inquiry establishes further links or responsibility will depend on the evidence and the findings of investigators.