Bengaluru cybercrime police have registered a case over an alleged fake sting video targeting former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, launching an investigation into the identity of the people who created, published and circulated the content through a YouTube channel.
According to the complaint registered on October 6, the accused allegedly used a fake identity on social media to create and publish fabricated content containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah. The complaint alleges that the content was intended to damage his public reputation.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act relating to identity theft and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged offences including criminal conspiracy, forgery and extortion. The registration of the case does not establish the allegations against the people who created or circulated the video, and the police have not publicly identified any accused.
The alleged sting video was filmed in 2023 and was recently broadcast by some local television channels. It relates to unverified incidents from 2011, when Siddaramaiah was the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly. The authenticity of the video and the identity of its creator have not yet been established.
The YouTube channel mentioned in the complaint is reportedly associated with the handle ‘Karnataka Honeytrap’. The complainant has sought an investigation to identify the person operating the channel and others allegedly involved in creating, publishing and circulating the content, followed by appropriate legal action.
The case comes amid a wider controversy over videos targeting Siddaramaiah that has generated political attention in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah has sought police action against those responsible for what he described as false propaganda. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh is supervising the investigation.
Police have reportedly questioned more than five people as part of the wider probe into the circulation of the videos, according to sources cited by The Indian Express. Investigators are also tracing social media accounts and IP addresses in an effort to identify those who circulated the material.
The police have not disclosed further details of the investigation or said whether any formal arrests have been made. The next steps will include identifying the operators of the social media accounts and determining the origin and circulation chain of the alleged video.
