xA Delhi-based man arrested in connection with the uploading of a purported sting operation video targeting Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was granted bail by a local court, police said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Ritesh Pandey, was apprehended by the Bengaluru Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Delhi and brought to Bengaluru for questioning. He was subsequently produced before a metropolitan magistrate, who granted him bail on the condition that he cooperate with the investigation.
Police are probing Pandey's alleged links to a second-hand mobile phone suspected to have been used to upload the video. Investigators are examining its digital trail to identify the uploader, establish how the footage was circulated on social media and determine who was involved in recording it.
Last month, two videos containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded on YouTube. The Chief Minister subsequently approached the court and obtained an injunction restraining the press from reporting on the videos. He also lodged a police complaint seeking an investigation.
Siddaramaiah on Friday described the purported sting operation as "totally concocted", alleging that it was intended to blackmail him. He called for a fair investigation to establish the facts and identify those responsible.
His son, Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, alleged that people within the Congress were involved in the purported operation to tarnish his father's image. He claimed the video appeared to indicate the involvement of a Congress woman seeking a party ticket from Puttur and the head of a media organisation.
State Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the investigation would examine every aspect of the alleged conspiracy, including who conducted the sting operation, how the material came into circulation after several years and how it was publicised.
Kharge said the probe was proceeding without political interference and that those whose names had surfaced had been questioned and their statements recorded. Some people had reportedly become untraceable after receiving notices, but efforts were under way to locate them, he added.
The minister said the investigation would be completed and the details made public at the appropriate time.