Sting Against Siddaramaiah: Kharge Jr rejects CBI probe, Bengaluru police take two into custody

Bengaluru: Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday rejected demands for a CBI probe into alleged sting operation targeting former CM Siddaramaiah and circulation of video clips linking the veteran Congress leader to an alleged incident of honey-trap, saying the Bengaluru Police were competent to investigate the complaint.

Siddaramaiah, who is also the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, has filed a complaint with Bengaluru Police requesting an impartial investigation into the sting operation video and stern action against the people spreading the content maligning his image. Based on the complaint, the city police registered a case and have taken two youth into custody based on preliminary investigation into their role in uploading of content on online channels.

These contents, however, have gone off social media after a local court in Bengaluru granted an injunction on a suit from Siddaramaiah, restraining media outlets and social media from circulating and disseminating defamatory content.


Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, on Tuesday, demanded a CBI probe into the circulation of videos and said he would soon meet Home Minister Amit Shah and give a letter requesting that the case be handed over to the central agency for a probe.

Priyank Kharge told the media in Bengaluru that the alleged sting operation was part of a political conspiracy aimed at maligning the former CM’s image and slammed Kumaraswamy for his comments targeting Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in the episode.