Siddaramaiah Files Defamation Suit Over Honey-Trap Allegations

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah filed a defamation suit in the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court against 42 defendants, including media organizations and digital platforms. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to stop the circulation of reports and videos linking him to a honey-trap controversy and allegations of blackmail.

The legal action specifically targets content from the YouTube channel Karnataka Honey Trap and Freedom TV Kannada, while also naming Google India, YouTube LLC, and Facebook India as defendants. The suit addresses a September 2026 recording in which a woman claims she was sexually exploited by Siddaramaiah as a minor around 2011.

Siddaramaiah denies the claims, describing them as "false, baseless and intended to damage his reputation and political standing". Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge B Pushpanjali has reserved orders on an application for interim directions to remove the offending content from the platforms.