Kripa Alva and two others have been granted interim anticipatory bail in the Siddaramaiah Fake Sting Case, on a Rs 1 lakh personal bond and one surety for the same amount each in the event of arrest; the Bengaluru court observed that stringent conditions can protect both the probe and personal liberty.
Bengaluru: Three accused in the case registered over an allegedly fabricated sting video targeting former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, namely suspended Congress general secretary Kripa Alva, Power TV cameraman KV Prasanth Kumar and one Vinod Kumar, have been granted interim anticipatory bail by a Bengaluru court [Kripa Alva & Ors. v. State of Karnataka].
The order was passed on November 2 by Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Shankarappa Nimbanna Kalkani.
The interim order
In its interim order, the court observed that stringent conditions could be imposed to ensure a fair investigation while safeguarding the personal liberty of the accused. All three were granted interim anticipatory bail, subject to each executing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety for the same amount in the event of arrest.
Earlier in the same case, three persons associated with the Janata Dal (Secular)’s social media operations had secured interim anticipatory bail on October 29, and Rakesh Shetty had also been granted interim anticipatory bail.
The allegations in the FIR are yet to be tested. The court’s interim order expresses no view on the merits of the case, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The complaint behind the FIR
The Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police registered the case on a complaint filed by Siddaramaiah on October 6. He alleged that unidentified persons had circulated a fabricated video containing malicious allegations against him in an attempt to blackmail and defame him.
The video surfaced online on September 26. It purportedly showed conversations between Power TV Managing Director Rakesh Shetty and Kripa Alva with a woman who levelled allegations against Siddaramaiah relating to 2011. Siddaramaiah’s complaint describes the video as fabricated.
The FIR invokes Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 3(5) (joint liability), 308(6) (extortion), 336(4) and 340(2) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.
Alva was recently suspended from the Congress for six years for alleged anti-party activities after the video surfaced.
What the accused told the court
For Alva, counsel submitted that she had appeared before the investigating officer on October 7, 10 and 18 and cooperated with the investigation, even though she had not received prior notices. It was contended that she had not made the damaging statements attributed to her in the FIR, was apprehending arrest, and was neither the owner, creator nor administrator of the YouTube channel “Karnataka Honey Trap”, on which the video was uploaded.
Counsel for cameraman KV Prasanth Kumar submitted that he had cooperated with the probe, that police had already seized his two mobile phones, and that he had no role in the alleged offences or in running the channel.
On behalf of Vinod Kumar, it was submitted that the investigating officer had searched his residence under a search warrant, that he too had cooperated, and that he had no role in the alleged defamation and did not own, create or administer the channel.
State Public Prosecutor B N Jagadish appeared for the State.
What the order means for the probe
Anticipatory bail balances the needs of an investigation against the risk of unnecessary arrest. Where accused persons have already joined the probe, devices have been seized and searches carried out, courts often find that custody is not needed to take the investigation forward, and that conditions can address any risk to the probe.
The order continues the trial court’s consistent approach in this politically sensitive case, with interim protection now extended to accused on different sides of the controversy while the Cyber Crime Police complete their investigation.
Case: Anticipatory bail applications of Kripa Alva, KV Prasanth Kumar and Vinod Kumar (Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police case on Siddaramaiah’s complaint)
Court: Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Shankarappa Nimbanna Kalkani, Bengaluru
Date of Order: November 2, 2026
For the Accused: Advocates Raghavendra Shenoy M (Kripa Alva), Naresh Santhosh K S (KV Prasanth Kumar) and Sachin C (Vinod Kumar)
For the State: State Public Prosecutor B N Jagadish