Kumaraswamy accuses Police Commissioner of ‘misleading’ public in sting operation case (Lead)
Bengaluru, Nov 2 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday accused Bengaluru Police Commissioner of attempting to mislead the public by selectively disclosing details of the investigation into the sting operation case linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
He questioned the police over the alleged involvement of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh in an earlier video controversy linked to the Prajwal Revanna case.
In a major twist, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, Seemanth Kumar Singh, said on Sunday that investigators have found evidence suggesting that a mobile phone was exchanged at the residence of Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy in connection with the alleged sting operation case.
Addressing the media at the JD(S) headquarters, JP Bhavan, Kumaraswamy questioned the urgency with which the Police Commissioner held a press conference on Sunday, despite it being a holiday, and disclosed details of the ongoing investigation.
“Why was the Police Commissioner in such a hurry to address a press conference yesterday, even though it was a holiday? He leaked several developments to the media, particularly referring to my residence in Delhi. The person currently being questioned by the special wing CCB allegedly handed over the mobile phone to an individual handling social media activities for us. In this context, the Commissioner said that the Call Detail Records (CDR) indicated that the person was near my residence,” he said.
Questioning the manner in which the investigation was being conducted, Kumaraswamy said the police should carry out a proper inquiry instead of creating confusion among the public and misleading them.
“If the CDR indicates that the person was moving around my residence, I want the police to answer another question. In the second case registered over allegations against Prajwal Revanna, Karthik, who earlier worked as his driver and is the second accused, allegedly created videos in coordination with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh. Those videos were circulated across the world,” he alleged.
Referring to August 5 and 6 in 2023, Kumaraswamy questioned where Karthik was during the period and whether he had been at Shivakumar’s residence. He also questioned what action the investigating officers had taken in this regard.
“Why have the officers not taken action? Why have they left Shivakumar out of the investigation? If they want to refer to my name based on the CDR, they must also examine the role of others. Shivakumar must answer questions about these developments,” he said.
Kumaraswamy also dismissed the CCB raids on the premises of a Kannada news channel and its owner as an attempt to create an impression among the public that action was being taken because his name had figured in the investigation.
Responding to Minister for Home and IT/BT Priyank Kharge’s allegation that he was pressuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use central agencies against Congress leaders, Kumaraswamy said he did not need protection from the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister.
“It is not necessary for me to seek protection from the Prime Minister or the Home Minister. I have the capacity to face this government on my own,” he said.
He further accused Priyank Kharge of being responsible for irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment issue and alleged that the Home Minister’s role should also be examined.
“What mischiefs have taken place, not only in the sting operation case but also in the KPSC scam? The person responsible is the Home Minister himself. When he was the RDPR Minister, he took an irregular and illegal decision to appoint 26 Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs),” Kumaraswamy alleged.
The Union Minister’s remarks come amid an intensifying political confrontation between the Congress and JD(S) over the sting operation investigation, with both sides trading allegations over the role of political leaders and the handling of the probe.
–IANS
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