Bengaluru, Nov 2 — Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday challenged the Karnataka Police to question him in connection with the sting operation case linked to former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah, asserting that his doors were always open for investigation.
Questioning why the state police would summon him for questioning, Kumaraswamy said he was ready to face any inquiry and had nothing to hide. He also accused the state government and senior police officers of attempting to tarnish his reputation by linking his residence in Delhi to the case.
Addressing a press conference at the JD(S) headquarters, JP Bhavan, Kumaraswamy said, “Why would they call me for investigation? What have I done? Is it because I exposed all these matters? What exactly will they investigate and how? What is my connection with this case? The investigation is still underway. The accused purchased a mobile phone and allegedly handed it over near my residence.”
Clarifying that he did not know Ritesh Pandey, whose name has figured in the investigation, Kumaraswamy said his residence and camp office were frequented by hundreds of people seeking assistance.
“I do not know any Ritesh Pandey. My residence is one place, and I also have a camp office where hundreds of people come for work. He might have visited the place, but I have never seen his face. I am open to an investigation. My doors are open to everyone. Send anyone and conduct an inquiry. I have not even retained security,” he said.
Directing his remarks at Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem, Kumaraswamy said officers should conduct the investigation honestly without coming under political pressure. He alleged that the Chief Minister and Home Minister were influencing the investigation to bring disrepute to him.
“I have been Chief Minister twice. I have never asked a single officer to do anything illegal. My family has seen the posts of Prime Minister and Chief Minister. I am warning the investigating officers to conduct the probe honestly,” he said.
He further alleged that Bengaluru Police Commissioner's statement linking his residence to the case was illegal and violated Supreme Court directions and established guidelines against leaking information during an ongoing investigation. He said he could seek action against the officers concerned for disclosing investigation details.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had pressured the police to damage his reputation.
Reacting to Home Minister Priyank Kharge's claim that investigators had found clinching evidence in the sting operation case, Kumaraswamy said the Minister should first explain the evidence relating to the alleged presence of Prajwal Revanna's former driver at Chief Minister Shivakumar's residence.
“Ask the Home Minister to produce all the evidence he claims to have. People come and go from residences. Can you link someone to a case merely because they visited a particular place? Mr Kharge, have you seen the evidence? Where is that Kerala woman in the Siddaramaiah case? What statement has been recorded from her, and how much money have you given her? Shame on you,” he said.
Questioning the clean chit reportedly given to Siddaramaiah in the case, Kumaraswamy alleged that the investigation was being conducted in haste to save the Congress government.
“Yesterday, they stated in a hurry against me. What investigation have they conducted to give a clean chit? They have to save the government by giving a clean chit to Siddaramaiah, and that is why the investigation is being carried out in this manner,” he alleged.
He pointed out that the mobile phone had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the results were still awaited, questioning how the police could make statements on the case before receiving the forensic findings.
Kumaraswamy also questioned reports that the police had inspected his residence, asking who had provided such information. He further questioned Siddaramaiah's presence at the housewarming ceremony of the Kannada news channel owner's residence, claiming that the former Chief Minister had spent nearly five hours there when he was in office.
Raising questions about the origins of the sting operation controversy, Kumaraswamy referred to incidents dating back to 2011 and the video recording allegedly carried out in 2023.
“An incident took place in 2011, and the video was recorded in 2023. Nearly 12 years later, why has this issue come to the fore? What investigation has been conducted into it?” he asked.
He maintained that he was in no way responsible for the 2011 alleged incident against Siddaramaiah or the 2023 video recording, and questioned the roles of suspended Congress leader Krupa Alva, a Kannada channel owner and another elderly person whose name had figured in the controversy.
Kumaraswamy also sought to know who had brought the Kerala woman (victim) allegedly connected with the case, whether the police had questioned that person, what statement the woman had given and what connection existed between her and Krupa Alva.
He questioned the whereabouts of records relating to an alleged complaint regarding abuse against a 14-year-old girl to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, claiming that Siddaramaiah had earlier described the matter as a blackmail case.
Referring to Congress leaders' claims that Siddaramaiah had been blackmailed and forced to step down, Kumaraswamy questioned how long the alleged blackmail had continued.
He also made a claim regarding developments involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that Shivakumar had reportedly failed to reach him over the phone and that a message had been conveyed through Gandhi's personal secretary about the possible arrest of a Union Minister from Karnataka.
“It is being heard that they have conveyed that a Union Minister would be arrested. Let us see which Union Minister they will arrest,” he said.
Targeting Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy alleged that the Deputy Chief Minister had built his political publicity around blackmail and controversial CDs.
He said his fight was not aimed at tarnishing anyone's personal reputation but was intended to prevent what he described as attempts to divert the investigation and suppress the truth.
“If they keep circling my residence instead of tracking the people involved, including those connected with the woman in the video, what will they achieve? The investigation is not being conducted in the direction in which it should be,” he said.