Phone used in Siddaramaiah sting video was delivered to Kumaraswamy’s Delhi home
An arrested accused claimed a mobile phone used to upload the video was handed to an aide at the Union Minister's residence.
A mobile phone allegedly used to upload a video targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was delivered to Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s official residence in New Delhi, according to Hindustan Times. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said on Sunday that the handset was handed to an aide, Prajwal Prasad, at the Kushak Road residence.
The claim follows the arrest of Ritesh Pandey, a Delhi-based freelance social media content creator, on October 24. Pandey told investigators that he and an associate, Vinod Sharma, bought the device from a shop in Karol Bagh on the instructions of Prasad, who is a media consultant linked to Kumaraswamy’s office.
Singh stated that all three individuals worked with the social media team connected to the minister's office. Police are currently verifying the account by examining CCTV footage from the Delhi shop, digital records, and financial transactions between Pandey and Prasad.
Investigators have issued notices to Prasad and Sharma, but the commissioner said they have not responded and have reportedly sought anticipatory bail. The police are working to establish how the footage moved from a pen drive to the handset used for the YouTube upload.
HD Kumaraswamy denied that police had searched or inspected his official residence in Delhi. He accused the state government of spreading misinformation to divert attention from the sting video and demanded accountability for any false information leaked to the press.