Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Oct 27: In a shocking turn of events, the CCB police have arrested a couple for allegedly blackmailing Congress leader and former minister Malikaiah Guttedar via a honey trap involving recorded WhatsApp video calls. Manjula Patil, president of the Kalaburagi unit of the Nalapad Brigade, and her husband, Shivaraj Patil, are now in police custody.

Manjula, a long-time Congress member, developed a rapport with Guttedar and recorded their conversations. She later used this footage to extort money, revealing that she had blackmailed several individuals, as indicated by the information found on her phone.

The situation escalated when Manjula contacted Guttedar’s son, Ritesh, on October 21, claiming his father had sent her abusive messages. During a subsequent meeting at Swathi Gardenia Hotel, she demanded Rs 20 lac to prevent legal action and keep the videos private.

The couple repeatedly harassed Ritesh through WhatsApp calls on October 23 and 24, threatening to release the videos unless their demands were met.

Arrested near Garuda Mall here on Saturday, the couple had six smartphones in their possession, allegedly used in their scheme. Investigators found private videos of eight individuals, including a former district panchayat member and other officials. The CCB is actively continuing its investigation.