States » SouthPosted at: Oct 13 2026 4:22PM


Siddaramaiah moves court over alleged defamatory videos

Bengaluru, Oct 13 (UNI) A video purportedly linking former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to allegations of a honey-trap network and blackmail has triggered a political storm in the state, with his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah dismissing the recording as fake and the senior Congress leader approaching a Bengaluru court to restrain the circulation of the disputed material.
The controversy centres on two videos that Siddaramaiah has alleged are defamatory and intended to damage his reputation. According to his court petition, the first video was uploaded on September 27 by a YouTube channel named Karnataka Honey Trap under the title “Karnataka Honey Trap Nexus Part 1”. The accompanying claims allegedly sought to link him to blackmail, a purported honey-trap network and political developments surrounding his tenure as Chief Minister.
The second was an hour-long programme uploaded or streamed by Freedom TV Kannada on October 2 under the title “LIVE: Biggest CD Blast in Karnataka Politics?”. Siddaramaiah has contended that the programme sensationalised the controversy by referring to an alleged CD and suggesting the involvement of a prominent political leader without presenting independently verified material to substantiate the claims.
The petition also refers to a purported recording in which a woman allegedly claims that she was sexually exploited when she was a minor around 2011 and identifies Siddaramaiah as the person involved. The allegations contained in the recording have not been independently established, and their authenticity remains disputed.
Siddaramaiah has questioned the credibility of the material, arguing that it does not disclose any contemporaneous police complaint, independent witness statement or other verifiable evidence substantiating the allegations. He has also alleged that the questioning in the recording was structured to elicit responses implicating him.
Seeking legal protection, Siddaramaiah filed a defamation suit before the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court against 42 media organisations, digital platforms and other defendants. He has sought a permanent injunction restraining them from publishing, broadcasting or sharing the two videos and any clips, screenshots, transcripts or reports reproducing the disputed allegations.
The petition also seeks the removal of the videos and directions to digital platforms to disable access to the content. Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge B Pushpanjali had reserved orders on the application for interim relief after hearing the matter on Monday, with the order expected on Tuesday.
Siddaramaiah has described the online campaign as false propaganda and said he approached the court to prevent further dissemination of material that he believes would irreparably harm his reputation. The list of respondents reportedly includes television channels, newspapers and digital platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Google India, Yahoo India and Facebook India.
The legal action comes amid a wider political confrontation over allegations of sting operations targeting Karnataka's political leadership. union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has raised questions about the purported operation and demanded clarity over those behind it. Siddaramaiah, in turn, has called for an investigation to establish the truth and identify those responsible.
The controversy has also drawn in Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who has rejected allegations linking him to the purported operation. Congress leaders have separately alleged that attempts were made to conduct sting operations against ministers to embarrass the state government. These claims and counterclaims remain subject to verification.
The dispute has opened another front in Karnataka's political battle, bringing together allegations of covert recordings, political rivalry and the limits of online publication. The court's decision on Siddaramaiah's plea is expected to determine whether interim restrictions are imposed on the circulation of the disputed material while the defamation proceedings continue.
The allegations against Siddaramaiah remain contested, and the court's consideration of his petition should not be construed as a finding on the authenticity of the videos or the truth of the claims they contain.
UNI BDN
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