Who is Kripa Alva, Congress leader at centre of Karnataka sting row

Kripa Alva, a 60-year-old Congress spokesperson from Mangaluru, is the focal point of the ongoing sting operation controversy in Karnataka. The former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, filed a complaint against unidentified individuals who allegedly circulated a fabricated video containing malicious allegations against him. Alva, who was chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights from 2015 to 2018, appeared before the Crime Branch on Sunday to answer the police's notice.

She gained prominence in active politics after her husband, Amar Alva, a prominent figure in Mangaluru, was killed in a gang-related incident in 1992. Alva founded the Amar Alva Charitable Trust and was associated with various social service organizations. Her alleged involvement in the purported sting operation surfaced after the video began circulating online.

She is heard discussing the incident with Rakesh Shetty, the managing director of Kannada news channel Power TV. Siddaramaiah and the Karnataka Congress unit have accused Alva and Shetty of orchestrating the fabricated video, leading to a show-cause notice issued by the state Congress unit against Alva. The controversy has sparked political tensions within the Congress party, with allegations of factional conflicts and a potential impact on the upcoming Assembly elections.