{
  "id": 16416468,
  "title": "Delhi man arrested for posting ‘sting op’ clip targeting Siddaramaiah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/delhi-man-arrested-for-posting-sting-op-clip-targeting-siddaramaiah",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T02:17:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-man-arrested-for-posting-sting-op-clip-targeting-siddaramaiah-101792869975968.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 22-year-old Delhi man, Ritesh Pandey, has been arrested by Bengaluru police for allegedly uploading a video of a sting operation targeting former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. The arrest came after a complaint from Siddaramaiah over the distribution of the video through \"Karnataka Honey Trap\" accounts on YouTube and X. Police suspect Pandey acted on instructions from someone associated with the Janata Dal (Secular) social media team. He claims the video was uploaded at the direction of a Janata Dal (Secular) social media team member. Police are investigating whether others were involved in recording, uploading, or distributing the video. The case began with Siddaramaiah filing a complaint over the video's circulation. Police are examining seized electronic devices and tracing the video's spread across social media platforms. Siddaramaiah has called the video fabricated, alleging it was part of an attempt to blackmail him. He has filed a complaint and obtained a stay order from a civil court to prevent further circulation, insisting the video is a fabrication and denying any authority to make such allegations. The incident has sparked allegations of possible involvement by Congress party members, with Siddaramaiah's son suggesting the video may have been intended to help a Congress worker secure a ticket in the upcoming 2023 Puttur assembly election.",
  "summary": "Bengaluru police arrested a Delhi-based man on Saturday for uploading a video of an alleged sting operation targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to the Hindustan Times. Investigators are currently examining if the man was acting on instructions from someone associated with the Janata Dal (Secular) social media team.\n\nThe Indian Express reports that both Siddaramaiah and his son, Minister Yathindra, have denounced the video as a \"fake sting\" manufactured to damage the former Chief Minister's reputation. Yathindra alleged that some Congress insiders were involved in the filming of the 2023 video by Power TV MD Rakesh Shetty. He specifically pointed to a woman Congress worker who had sought a party ticket for the Puttur seat during the 2023 Assembly polls.\n\nThe Indian Express further notes that Rakesh Shetty, who is considered close to D K Shivakumar, has been granted interim bail by a local Bengaluru court after police summoned him for interrogation. Siddaramaiah is reportedly upset by the episode, though Yathindra stated that the truth will emerge through the ongoing investigation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV - India News",
        "title": "Delhi Man Arrested Over 'Sting Op' Video Targeting Siddaramaiah",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/delhi-man-arrested-over-sting-op-video-targeting-siddaramaiah",
        "published": "2026-10-24T19:02:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}