Delhi man held in Siddaramaiah sting case
Police said on Saturday that a Delhi-based man was arrested in connection with the alleged sting operation targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, marking the first arrest in the case. The accused, identified as Ritesh Pandey, was apprehended in Delhi and brought to Bengaluru for questioning, they said. The police are probing his alleged links to a second-hand mobile phone, suspected to have been used to upload the alleged sting operation video, official sources said, adding that they are also examining its digital trail to identify the uploader and establish how the video was circulated on social media, and those behind it. Last month, two videos containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded on YouTube. The Congress leader subsequently moved the court and obtained an injunction barring the press from reporting on the videos. He has also lodged a police complaint seeking an investigation.
Siddaramaiah on Friday termed the alleged sting operation targeting him as “totally concocted”, saying it was intended to blackmail him and demanding a fair investigation to bring out the truth and identify those behind it.
Centre extends defence secretary’s tenure by one year
The Centre has extended the tenure of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh by one year, till October 31, 2027, according to an official order issued on Saturday. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension of Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, beyond his scheduled tenure ending on October 31, 2026. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in the service of Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS (KL:89) as Secretary, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence, for a period of one year beyond 31.10.2026, ie up to 31.10.2027 or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) read. The extension was granted in relaxation of the provisions of Fundamental Rule 56(d) and Rule 16(1A) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, the order said.