Bengaluru: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday questioned why police were concentrating on identifying who uploaded the sting video allegedly targeting former CM Siddaramaiah, instead of investigating who recorded it and who masterminded the operation.Questioning the timing of police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh’s statement that the phone used to upload the video had changed hands at his Delhi residence, Kumaraswamy alleged that the police statement followed a meeting involving the CM, director general of police and the commissioner at Kanteerava Stadium after Sunday’s Rajyotsava celebrations. Claiming that it had been issued at the CM’s direction, he said the disclosure violated Supreme Court guidelines governing information about pending investigations.He said the police were free to investigate any suspected exchange of phones and that he would instruct his security personnel to facilitate their inquiry.Alleging a political conspiracy to implicate him, Kumaraswamy accused the state police of acting at the behest of Congress leaders to build a case against him and give Siddaramaiah a clean chit. “My doors are always open to anyone who wants to inquire. But nobody can touch me. Let me see who has the guts,” he said.He also questioned Singh’s declaration on Oct 29 that the alleged sexual assault was fabricated, pointing out that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report had not yet been received. He asked how the police could reach such a conclusion before receiving forensic findings, alleging that the move was aimed at protecting Siddaramaiah and the state govt.Kumaraswamy also sought an explanation for why an incident that allegedly occurred in 2011 was recorded only in 2023 and what prompted the video to surface that year. He called for an investigation into the role of former Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Krupa Alva, emails reportedly sent by a woman from Kerala, the identity of another man seen in the video and the circumstances surrounding Alva’s alleged travel abroad.He further questioned whether compensation had been paid to the girl mentioned in the allegations and whether the entire operation was intended to damage Siddaramaiah’s reputation or blackmail him.Denying that arrested accused Rithish Kumar had stayed at his official residence in Delhi or that mobile phones had been exchanged there, Kumaraswamy referred to court records showing Kumar’s address as Ghaziabad and his arrest at Indirapuram on Oct 23 at 2.59pm.Displaying an old Assembly video in which Shivakumar had spoken about the culture of CDs and sting operations during the Ramesh Jarkiholi controversy, Kumaraswamy challenged him to explain the conduct of the present investigation. He also questioned the sudden replacement of investigating officer Satish and demanded a proper examination of the seized mobile phones.Rejecting minister Priyank Kharge’s allegation that he was using agencies such as the ED and Income Tax department against political opponents, Kumaraswamy said he had fought a 14-year political battle without using such agencies. He also accused Priyank of deploying policemen to monitor his visitors.Warning state police chief MA Saleem against acting under political pressure, Kumaraswamy alleged that honest officers were being used as instruments of political vendetta. “The wheel keeps turning. Those on top will have to come down, and those below will move up. That is the law of nature. If you act to please those in power, you will face the consequences,” he said.
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