Media consultant Prajwal Prasad questioned by Bengaluru police in sting video case
The consultant, associated with Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's office, appeared before the Central Crime Branch regarding an alleged fabricated video.
Media consultant Prajwal Prasad appeared before the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Tuesday for questioning regarding the alleged fabrication and circulation of a sting video targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to The Hindu.
Prasad, who is associated with the office of Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, went to the CCB headquarters after receiving a notice from investigators. He had previously been reported as absconding and later obtained interim anticipatory bail.
The investigation follows the arrest of Ritesh Pandey on October 24 for uploading the videos to social media. Pandey, a Delhi-based man, allegedly stated that he and Vinod Sharma bought a mobile phone in Delhi's Karol Bagh area and delivered it to Prasad at Kumaraswamy's official residence in New Delhi.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said on Sunday that the handset was handed over to Prasad following his instructions. The police are currently investigating the planning, funding, and potential involvement of other political figures or social media operatives in the operation.
The Bengaluru police have described the viral videos, which were uploaded to YouTube in September, as a deliberately constructed and fabricated narrative. They noted that statements from individuals in the videos did not substantiate the allegations made against Siddaramaiah.
The former Chief Minister had previously obtained a court injunction to stop media reporting on the videos and filed a police complaint seeking an investigation.