Cong Leader Kripa Alva Questioned Over Siddaramaiah Sting Operation

Bengaluru: The City Police's CCB has questioned Congress leader Kripa Alva from Dakshina Kannada district in connection with the alleged sting operation targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, police sources said on Monday.

She appeared before the Central Crime Branch on Saturday in connection with her alleged role related to the sting operation, they said.

Police sources said she had been questioned earlier as well on multiple occasions as part of the probe.

According to police sources, on Saturday, Alva appeared before the investigation agency during which she was questioned and her statements were recorded as part of the ongoing probe related to the case, the sources added.

Siddharamaiah had also named her behind the alleged sting operation.

The 60-year-old Congress leader was chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights from 2015 to 2018, during Siddaramaiah's first term as CM.

Alva is also a party spokesperson from Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district.

She entered public life after the death of her husband, Amar Alva, a prominent local social worker and political figure who was into real estate business, was shot dead in 1992 amid gang rivalry. Widowed with a young daughter, she founded the Amar Alva Charitable Trust, became involved with social service organisations including the Lions Club, and gradually moved into active politics with the Congress party.

She has held organisational roles in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), including as a spokesperson and state campaign committee coordinator.

Alva had also sought party ticket to contest Assembly elections from constituencies in Dakshina Kannada, such as Puttur, though without success so far.

Last week, the CCB had arrested Delhi-based Ritesh Pandey in connection with uploading of a video purportedly showing a sting operation targeting Siddaramaiah on social media, marking the first arrest in the case, but he was released on bail later.

Police had initially picked up two JD(S) social media team members which enraged the opposition party's second-in-command and union minister HD Kumaraswamy. He charged that police picked up innocent people at the behest of powerful people behind the sting operation only to shield the key persons.

Kumaraswamy and his party workers staged a demonstration at the Police Headquarters here. Later he said that Siddaramaiah might have been blackmailed leading to his stepping down as CM, apparently referring to the episode involving the senior Congress leader making way for his then deputy D K Shivakumar at the height of a power tussle between the two.

Late last month, two videos containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded on YouTube. The two-time chief minister had obtained an injunction barring the press from reporting on them. He has lodged a police complaint seeking an investigation.

His son and state minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah had recently alleged that people from within the Congress were behind the sting operation that was aimed at tarnishing his father's image.

Yathindra said the video related to the alleged operation appeared to show the involvement of a woman from the Congress who wanted a party ticket from Puttur to contest polls, as well as the head of a media organisation.

Meanwhile, pointing out that Siddaramaiah, who has given a complaint against alleged criminal conspiracy against him, had expressed complete confidence in the probe underway, state Home Minister Priyank Kharge said that it is only a matter of time before those behind the alleged string operation are exposed.