Story perspectives

Kumaraswamy Accuses Congress of Protecting Journalist Rakesh Shetty

By Drooid · Oct 25, 2026, 4:26 AM UTC · How we work

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Police seeking bail

Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy accused Karnataka’s Congress government of protecting journalist Rakesh Shetty at a JD(S) briefing in Bengaluru on 24 Oct 2026.
The move cast him as the de-facto opposition leader, directly confronting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and organising protests.
He said senior officials and some police were seeking bail for Shetty, risking evidence loss.
A vigilance complaint was filed with the Karnataka High Court over the sting operation.

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Sting Probe Diversion

Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy accused DK Shivakumar and Priyank Kharge of protecting journalist Rakesh Shetty at a JD(S) briefing in Bengaluru on 24 October 2026.
The allegation said protection was a partisan effort to shield the suspect and intimidate JD(S) workers.
He alleged Rakesh Shetty and Krupa Alva organized the 2023 sting against chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Kumaraswamy claimed the sting probe was used to divert attention from the Karnataka Service Commission scam.

History

Historical Context

After the 1998 Jain-Sanjay scandal, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee pushed the 1999 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, raising the maximum fine for officials to INR5 lakh. Enforcement rests with the CBI and state anti-corruption bureaus, but the 2018 amendment added UN-aligned provisions while retaining prior-sanction hurdles, shaping today’s Karnataka accountability battles.

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Police seeking bail

Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy accused Karnataka’s Congress government of protecting journalist Rakesh Shetty at a JD(S) briefing in Bengaluru on 24 Oct 2026.
The move cast him as the de-facto opposition leader, directly confronting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and organising protests.
He said senior officials and some police were seeking bail for Shetty, risking evidence loss.
A vigilance complaint was filed with the Karnataka High Court over the sting operation.

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