Karnataka: Bengaluru court grants ex parte injunction against videos targeting former CM Siddaramaiah

Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge B Pushpanjali, on hearing IA No. 1 & 2, restrained the defendants, their proprietors, editors, directors and agents from telecasting, broadcasting, publishing, sharing or disseminating an impugned video dated September 27 and broadcast dated October 2, including captions, clips, transcripts and edited versions concerning the plaintiff.

The court also granted a mandatory injunction directing defendants to take down the content, and directed platform defendants to disable access to or block the impugned material.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah strongly refuted allegations linking him to a circulating sting operation video, denouncing the digital footage as a deliberate attempt to tarnish his political career.

Siddaramaiah, in a post on X, denounced the viral clips on social media and stated that this appears to be an evident effort to malign the former CMs character with malicious political intent.

I have noticed that my name is being linked to a sting operation video circulating on various social media platforms over the past few days, with clear attempts at defamation. This appears to be an evident effort to malign my character with malicious political intent, Siddaramaiah wrote.

Meanwhile, while addressing the boundaries of media autonomy, the former Chief Minister maintained that his actions are aimed strictly at halting fabricated content rather than suppressing legitimate journalism.

I am wholly in favour of freedom of expression. Throughout my political life thus far, I have never been one to obstruct the media's freedom of expression. However, given that some media outlets are misusing freedom of expression, the situation has inevitably arisen where I must seek an injunction through the court to restrain publication and broadcast. I regret this deeply, Siddaramaiah said. (ANI)