Whistleblower claims ‘Pitamaha’ of sting operations targeted over 60 MLAs

Bengaluru

A whistleblower who has been exclusively sharing information with blrpost.com has alleged that a person described as the ‘Pitamaha’ of sting operations in Karnataka targeted more than 60 MLAs. 

The whistleblower said the identity of the individual would be revealed at an appropriate time.

The whistleblower began speaking to this website after Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy claimed that a sting video had been used to pressure former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resign. The whistleblower also showed blrpost.com more than 100 sting videos allegedly recorded on the instructions of Power TV Managing Director Rakesh Shetty.

However, the more than 100 videos seen by this website do not contain footage of MLAs. They constitute a separate set of videos, according to the information shared with the website.

The whistleblower further alleged that more than 60 sting operations were carried out in 2023 by a well-known media personality, targeting over 60 MLAs belonging to the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). The operations reportedly focused on issues concerning optical fibre cable (OFC) networks.

Of these, around 35 to 38 sting videos were broadcasted on the channel, while the remaining videos were not aired.

According to the whistleblower, the unaired footage was allegedly used to blackmail and extort the MLAs. The allegations raise questions about whether sting operations intended to expose alleged wrongdoing were also used for purposes other than public-interest journalism.

The whistleblower has called on the Karnataka government to order a comprehensive, court-monitored investigation into the sting videos and the alleged blackmail and extortion. Such an investigation, the whistleblower said, should examine the circumstances in which the videos were recorded, the footage that was broadcast and the alleged use of unaired recordings to exert pressure on political representatives.

The whistleblower further alleged that “hundreds of sting operations, including the more than 60 operations targeting MLAs, were conducted not merely to expose alleged corruption but also to facilitate blackmail, extortion and the pursuit of other benefits.”

The whistleblower described the alleged activities as one of the biggest scams in Karnataka’s history. However, the allegations have not been independently established, and the claims warrant investigation before any conclusions can be drawn.

The whistleblower also questioned the response of senior BJP leaders in Karnataka to Kumaraswamy’s allegations. Despite the BJP and the JD(S) being allies in the State, the whistleblower expressed suspicion over the perceived lack of support from BJP State president B Y Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka for Kumaraswamy’s efforts to expose alleged wrongdoing in sections of the media.

The allegations, if substantiated, could have significant implications for political accountability, media ethics and the use of sting operations in Karnataka. A thorough investigation would be required to establish the authenticity of the recordings, the circumstances surrounding their production and broadcast, and whether any footage was used to threaten or extract benefits from elected representatives.