Bengaluru Police trace source of ‘sting’ video; probe focuses on who handed it to Ritesh Pandey

Investigators are trying to establish the complete chain of custody of the sting video, and who eventually handed it over to Delhi-based content creator Ritesh Pandey (in pic) to upload on social media. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The Bengaluru city police are continuing their investigation into the alleged sting video pertaining to former chief minister Siddaramaiah case, with special teams tracking down the source of the video and investigating who handed it over to Ritesh Pandey, a freelance social media content creator, who uploaded it on social media platforms.Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the investigation was examining three instances in which the video surfaced — in 2021, 2023 and 2026.A preliminary investigation has found that the claim that the recording was made in 2023 is false. The police suspect that the same video was circulated on different social media platforms in September and October this year.Special teams have questioned several people connected with the incident. Pandey, who allegedly uploaded the video, was arrested in Delhi and subsequently granted conditional bail.As part of the investigation, the police also inspected the shop from where the mobile phone allegedly used to upload the video was purchased. The handset has been seized and sent for further technical analysis. Karnataka sting operation row: What we know so far Two former chief ministers, a sitting chief minister and a purported sting operation - and what you get is a fresh political storm brewing in Karnataka. The controversy began in September, when a purported sting video filmed in 2023, containing allegations by a woman against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, surfaced online. Who is behind the purported video, and who stands to gain from its circulation? What do we know from the police investigation so far? What does this controversy reveal about the state of Karnataka politics? | Video Credit: The Hindu Chain of custody of videoThe investigators are now trying to establish the complete chain of custody of the video, including its original source, how it changed hands and who eventually handed it over to Pandey to upload on social media.The police are also examining the circumstances surrounding the recording and its subsequent circulation to ascertain whether it was deliberately staged, fabricated or manipulated.The police had questioned Kannada news channel owner and editor Rakesh Shetty, Congress leader Kripa Alva, wo has been expelled from the party, and the woman claimed to be the victim in the sting video clip. Published - October 31, 2026 05:35 pm IST