BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) investigating the ‘sting operation’ case on Thursday stated that the video appears to contain fabricated allegations of sexual abuse, with statements recorded and evidence collected so far failing to substantiate the incident depicted in the recording.
The CCB police, who are probing the case based on the complaint filed by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, also said that the arrest of a freelance social media content creator, Ritesh Pandey, in the National Capital Region (NCR) on October 24 may have associations with politically influential individuals based in New Delhi. “The nature, extent, and relevance of these alleged associations are being investigated,” the CCB said.
Pandey was arrested for allegedly procuring the mobile phone used to circulate the video on social media.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the police said that all individuals appearing in the video had been questioned. The statements recorded and evidence collected so far, prima facie, indicate that the allegations made or implied against the individuals mentioned in the recording are false and concocted.
Probe on whether recording was staged, manipulated
The original mobile phone used to record the video has been seized and sent for forensic examination to establish the authenticity, integrity and other technical aspects of the recording. The forensic report is awaited.
Meanwhile, the video was allegedly recorded in 2023 and purportedly concerns an incident dating back to 2011.
The police are investigating whether the recording was deliberately staged, fabricated or manipulated to create a misleading narrative and serve ulterior motives, the release stated, adding that they are also examining why the video was recorded nearly 12 years after the alleged incident, the identities and roles of those involved, and their possible motives.
The police added that a comprehensive investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding the creation, recording, possession, transfer and subsequent circulation of the video.
The police also said that certain individuals are identified for further examination and notices are issued to them.
The probe has uncovered leads suggesting that the video’s circulation may have been part of a deliberate attempt to malign and discredit individuals holding positions of responsibility in the state.
The probe examined how the video changed hands before being uploaded to social media platforms. The video was uploaded through anonymous accounts using concealment techniques including VPNs, spoofed phone numbers, and other anonymisation methods. Digital traces also pointed to locations outside Karnataka, police said.
