Karnataka sting row: Congress MLA Ravi vows evidence in 7 days
Synopsis
Karnataka Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi has gone on the offensive in the state's sting operation row, producing a pen drive and alleging a Delhi-based agency — directed by a Union Minister and a BJP leader — targeted the Shivakumar government's ministers. He has promised to hand evidence to investigators and the media within seven days. The clock is now ticking.
Key Takeaways
Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi claimed on 9 October that he would release sting operation evidence within seven days .
Ravi alleged a Delhi-based agency was hired by a Union Minister and a Karnataka BJP leader to trap state ministers.
He displayed a pen drive and said he holds CCTV footage, documents, and audio-video recordings.
Ravi maintained that no minister was actually ensnared in the alleged operation.
Shivakumar had earlier claimed on Thursday that he too was targeted and possessed photographs as proof.
All allegations remain unverified ; no identities of accused individuals have been publicly disclosed.
Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi, a close aide of Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, on Friday, 9 October claimed he possessed concrete evidence exposing an alleged conspiracy behind the ongoing sting operation controversy targeting the state government, and pledged to make it public within seven days. Speaking to reporters in Mandya, Ravi brandished a pen drive and asserted he held documents, CCTV footage, and audio-video recordings to back his claims.
What Ravi Alleges
The Congress legislator alleged that the sting operation was orchestrated by a Delhi-based agency, purportedly at the direction of a Union Minister and a Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, with the intent to embarrass the Congress-led state government by trapping its ministers. He did not publicly name the individuals he accused at the time of his statement.
'This will not be a case of hit-and-run. I have evidence identifying the agency involved, the people behind the operation, the amount of money paid, the ministers they met and the personal assistants of various leaders who were present,' Ravi claimed.
He further alleged that arrangements had been made for the Delhi-based agency to stay at a hotel in Bengaluru as part of the purported operation. Ravi's allegations could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
Ministers Were Not Trapped, Ravi Asserts
Ravi maintained that despite the alleged attempt, none of the targeted ministers had been ensnared or engaged in any wrongdoing. He sought to contextualise Chief Minister Shivakumar's earlier reported advisory to Cabinet colleagues urging caution, suggesting the CM had already been aware of the alleged conspiracy when he issued that warning.
He said the evidence would first be submitted to the Investigating Officer within a week, and subsequently released to the media, including CCTV recordings and audio-video material.
CM Shivakumar's Earlier Claim
The MLA's remarks follow closely on those of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar himself, who on Thursday alleged in Delhi that an attempt had been made to entrap him through a sting operation after he assumed office. Shivakumar told reporters he had photographs and documents, and said he knew who was behind the alleged sting operations.
'An attempt was made to trap me after I became the Chief Minister. A few people approached me. I have photographs. I know who the father of these sting operations is,' Shivakumar said.
Political Context and Opposition Response
The controversy has sharpened political tensions in Karnataka, with both the Chief Minister and a senior party legislator making pointed public allegations against unnamed Union government and BJP figures. Ravi also alleged that Opposition leaders were spreading misinformation because, in his words, they were unable to accept the pace of development under the Shivakumar government.
Notably, this is not the first time sting operation allegations have surfaced in Karnataka politics — they have historically been used as tools by competing factions to destabilise governments. Whether the purported evidence materialises within the stated seven-day window will be closely watched by both the judiciary and political observers.
Point of View
A named agency, money trails — yet neither has named a single accused or produced a single document publicly. That gap between assertion and disclosure is precisely what political observers should watch. In Karnataka, sting operation controversies have a history of being deployed as political weapons, and counter-narratives often emerge before any evidence does. If the pen drive and CCTV footage Ravi promises do not materialise within the stated seven days, the credibility cost will fall squarely on the ruling Congress. Conversely, if the material is credible, it could trigger a significant accountability crisis reaching beyond the state.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karnataka sting operation controversy?
The controversy centres on an alleged sting operation targeting ministers of the Karnataka Congress government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi has alleged that a Delhi-based agency, hired by a Union Minister and a BJP leader, attempted to trap state ministers to embarrass the government, though these claims remain unverified.
What evidence does Congress MLA Ganiga Ravi claim to have?
Ravi claims to possess documents, CCTV footage, and audio-video recordings identifying the agency involved, the people who directed it, the money paid, and which ministers were approached. He displayed a pen drive at a press interaction in Mandya on 9 October but did not release the material publicly at that time.
When will the evidence be made public?
Ravi has promised to submit the material to the Investigating Officer within seven days of his 9 October statement and to subsequently release it to the media, including CCTV and audio-video recordings.
What did Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar say about the sting operation?
Shivakumar claimed in Delhi on Thursday that an attempt was made to trap him through a sting operation after he became Chief Minister, and said he had photographs to substantiate the claim. He also said he knew who was responsible for the sting operations.
Have the BJP or the Union Minister named by Congress responded?
As of the time of this report, Ravi did not publicly name the Union Minister or the Karnataka BJP leader he accused, and no individual has been formally identified. No independent verification of the allegations has been possible, and there is no publicly available response from the BJP to the specific claims made by Ravi.
