Siddaramaiah gets court relief in Karnataka sting video row

The court’s order came on the row, which has roiled state politics currently, even as Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said that he would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to demand a CBI probe into this matter.

After filing a petition in the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court Monday, Siddaramaiah said, “There is false publicity against me on social media. For this, I am seeking a stay.”

In his plea, Siddaramaiah rejected the allegations concerning the sting video as false, calling it a politically-motivated move to tarnish his image.

The development came less than a week after Chief Minister D K Shivakumar warned his Cabinet colleagues of possible sting operations or traps to lure them and discredit the Congress-led government.

This had prompted Kumaraswamy to attack Shivakumar and seek a probe into alleged sting operations carried out in the state.

PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who had earlier referred to lures involving bribes and honey traps, said Monday that the CM had not stated that any ministers were trapped and that an investigation could only take place if the aggrieved party filed a complaint.

The purported sting video on social media, filmed in 2023, and broadcast by some local TV channels recently, is related to discussions about unverified incidents from 2011 when Siddaramaiah was the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly during the tenure of the B S Yediurappa-led BJP government.

Spiralling row

Speculations have done the rounds in state political circles as to whether the sting video was allegedly used as a leverage for a change of guard that saw Shivakumar replacing Siddaramiah as the CM in June this year. Some of Siddaramaiah’s allies have alleged that there was a “factory” carrying out sting operations against state politicians.

Siddaramaiah had earlier called for a probe into sting operations, asking “Shouldn’t we learn the truth about those behind it through an investigation?”

Congress MLA and ex-minister K N Rajanna, considered close to Siddaramaiah, told reporters that the ex-CM had sought the stay “because of the sting operation”.

On whether it impacted the transition of power in the state, Rajanna said “It might have been (a factor). (It is) possible. We cannot rule out such possibilities.”

Rajanna, against whom a sting operation was also attempted during his tenure as a minister in the erstwhile Siddaramiah Cabinet, said there was a “factory for sting operation in Karnataka” and the required equipment was being imported. “There is just one factory. There are owners and partners,” he said. When asked who they were, Rajanna shot back: “Who made the video of former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi? Don’t you know?”

Kumaraswamy vs Shivakumar

Addressing a news conference Tuesday, Kumaraswamy alleged that four retired police officials were working to gather information about ministers through phone tapping. “This has started after Shivakumar became CM,” he said, adding that “I am not saying that the CM has ordered the unit to be set up”.

Kumaraswamy also accused Shivakumar of being allegedly involved in the leak of videos of Prajwal Revanna, his nephew and ex-MP, on the eve of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging the move was intended to defame the family of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. In August 2025, a court found Revanna guilty of rape and sexual assault in a case and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Hitting back at Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar said, “Time will answer” and that he would collect information about the sting operations and share it with the JD(S) leader.

Pushback from Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Minister and Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, said, “This is not a sting operation but a conspiracy to spread false propaganda and tarnish someone’s image.” He added: “The political situation today has deteriorated to such a low level. Even a senior leader like Siddaramaiah has to face such false allegations.”

While Shivakumar has not been directly blamed for the sting operation by the rival Congress faction in the state, there have been murmurs within the Siddaramaiah camp that the purported sting video was being used to diminish the ex-CM’s stature. The simmering row prompted Siddaramaiah to mend bridges with Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Zameer Ahmed who had fallen out with him after he stepped down from the CM’s post in May.

“The purported sting took place in 2023, 12 years after a purported incident. The claims in the video are not verified,” a Congress leader said.