Delhi Man Arrested, Then Bailed, in Siddaramaiah Video Probe

A Delhi-based man accused of uploading a video about former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was arrested, brought to Bengaluru and released on bail Saturday. Ritesh Pandey must cooperate with investigators, who seized the phone used to upload the footage. Police say someone linked to a regional party’s social media team told him to post it. They are now trying to find who gave Pandey the pendrive containing the video. ²

The pendrive is one link in a chain investigators are trying to piece together: how the footage was obtained, transferred and shared online. Police say Pandey used a second-hand SIM card and a device that supports e-SIMs. They are checking the phone and digital records. The case concerns videos uploaded to YouTube last month that made serious allegations about Siddaramaiah. He called them fake and said he filed a complaint because he believed they were meant to blackmail him and harm his reputation. ^2,4

The video trail has also become a source of political conflict inside Karnataka’s Congress government. Siddaramaiah’s son, Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, alleged that a Congress woman seeking a party ticket and a media organisation head were involved. Siddaramaiah named Kripa Alva and Rakesh Shetty. Investigators have not confirmed the claims. The Congress issued Alva a notice asking her to explain herself, while BJP leaders called for a federal investigation and accused the state government of failing to act. ^10,5

That political dispute now runs alongside a police inquiry into who recorded and shared the footage, and whether others worked together. Pandey’s bail does not end the investigation: the court ordered him to cooperate, and police are examining his seized phone and questioning people linked to the case. Investigators still need to identify who supplied the pendrive and establish the roles of those involved. ²