Delhi man arrested over Siddaramaiah video, granted bail

The Central Crime Branch arrested Delhi-based Ritesh Pandey in connection with uploading video footage targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and a court granted him bail subject to cooperating with the investigation, police said. Pandey was brought to Bengaluru for questioning, and investigators seized a mobile phone they believe was used to upload the video. Police are examining the device and its digital trail to establish how the footage was obtained and circulated and whether others took part, according to the Central Crime Branch. Investigators are also examining the alleged use of a secondhand SIM card and an eSIM-enabled device. Police have said Pandey was instructed to upload the footage by someone associated with the social media team of a regional political party. The identity and role of that person have not been established in the reported investigation. The arrest is the first reported in the case. Two videos containing allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded to YouTube the previous month, according to one account. Siddaramaiah has filed a police complaint and obtained a court injunction concerning the videos, reports said. Siddaramaiah...