Siddaramaiah moves court to stop circulation of videos linking him to honey-trap row

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said attempts were being made to falsely link him to a purported sting operation video as part of a politically motivated campaign to malign his reputation. He approached a Bengaluru court seeking to restrain the publication and circulation of any content carrying allegations against him.

In a statement, Siddaramaiah said he had no connection whatsoever with the alleged sting operation and accused “mischief-makers” of using the video to conduct a smear campaign. He said the application filed before the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court seeks to prevent newspapers, television channels and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting content linking his name to the alleged video.

Describing the move as a precautionary measure, Siddaramaiah said he was confident of his innocence and expressed faith that the truth would prevail. He also lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner seeking an impartial probe into the matter.

The former chief minister said he supported freedom of expression and had never sought to curb media freedom during his political career. However, he alleged that some sections of the media were misusing that freedom, necessitating legal intervention to prevent the spread of what he described as false information.

According to court filings, Siddaramaiah’s suit before the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court prays for orders to restrain 42 media organisations, digital platforms and other entities from publishing or circulating videos allegedly linking him to a honey-trap controversy.

The suit seeks a permanent injunction against publishing, broadcasting, broadcast or sharing the two videos, along with related clips, screenshots, transcripts and reports reproducing the allegations. Siddaramaiah has also sought directions to remove the videos and disable access to the content on relevant digital platforms.
Among the 42 defendants named in the suit are Kannada and English news organisations, along with platforms including WhatsApp, YouTube, Google India, Yahoo India and Facebook India.The plaint refers to a purported recording in which a woman allegedly claims she was sexually exploited as a minor around 2011 and identifies Siddaramaiah as being involved. According to the suit, the recording surfaced publicly only in September this year, nearly 15 years after the alleged incident.

Siddaramaiah has maintained that the allegations are false and has urged both the media and the public not to circulate unverified claims while investigations are underway.