The enquiry into alleged attempts to ‘honey-trap’ Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday. 

On March 21, Mr. Rajanna had alleged on the floor of the Assembly that there was “an attempt to tarnish his image” and claimed “48 people, including legislators, central leaders were honey-trapped”, prompting Home Minister G. Parameshwara to promise a “high-level probe”.

However, after much delay in lodging a complaint as he promised, Mr. Rajanna finally petitioned the Home Minister seeking an enquiry into alleged attempts to “honey-trap” him on Tuesday. Dr. Parameshwara had referred the three-page memorandum to the State Police Chief for suitable action on Wednesday. A CID inquiry was ordered on Thursday. 

Hours after the order was issued, a team from CID visited the official residence of the Minister on Jayamahal Road, where the alleged crime occurred, and began its probe. Mr. Rajanna had said his official residence did not have CCTV cameras, so he did not have any evidence. The CID team questioned those working at the house, as part of preliminary enquiry, sources said. 

No FIR yet

Since Mr. Rajanna has not filed an official complaint with the police, there has been no FIR in the case and the CID is only conducting an enquiry and is expected to submit a report to the State government. However, sources said that if the enquiry finds any criminality, the CID may register a suo motu FIR in that case. The enquiry is also limited to alleged attempts to “honey-trap” Mr. Rajanna and not anyone else, sources said. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Rajanna’s son R. Rajendra, Congress MLC, met Alok Mohan, DG&lGP, Karnataka State Police, alleging that there was a conspiracy to murder him. “On November 15, 2024, a day before my daughter’s birthday, a team, pretending to put up a tent, had come to my house to murder me. I got to know of this when my sources sent me an audio recording in which theory claimed that some people had paid ₹5 lakh to kill me. The State police chief has asked me to file a formal complaint with the Tumakuru police,” he said. Responding to a question by media persons, he denied that there was any attempt to “honey-trap” him.