CCB questions Cong leader Kripa Alva in Siddaramaiah sting case

Karnataka: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the City Police has questioned Congress leader Kripa Alva from Dakshina Kannada in connection with the alleged sting operation targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, police sources said Monday, October 26, as reported by PTI.

Alva appeared before the CCB on Saturday, October 24, when her statements were recorded as part of the ongoing probe, the sources said. She had been questioned on multiple occasions earlier, they added. Siddaramaiah had also named her as being behind the alleged operation, PTI reported.

Last week, the CCB arrested Delhi-based Ritesh Pandey for allegedly uploading on social media a video purportedly showing the sting. It was the first arrest in the case, but he was later released on bail.

Police had initially picked up two JD(S) social media team members, which angered Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy. He charged that innocent people were picked up to shield the key persons. He later said Siddaramaiah might have been blackmailed into stepping down as CM, an apparent reference to his making way for D K Shivakumar, PTI reported.

Late last month, two videos containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded on YouTube. He obtained an injunction barring the press from reporting on them and lodged a police complaint.

His son and state minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah recently alleged that people within the Congress were behind the operation. Yathindra said the video appeared to show a Congress woman who wanted a party ticket from Puttur, and the head of a media organisation.

State Home Minister Priyank Kharge said it was only a matter of time before those behind the sting were exposed.

Alva, 60, is a party spokesperson from Mangaluru and chaired the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights from 2015 to 2018, PTI reported.