'Morphed': Ex-Union Minister Sadananda Gowda on viral lewd video, files complaint

Former Union Minister and Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda filed a police complaint on Sunday on an allegedly "concocted and fabricated" lewd video clipping of him being circulated on social media.

In the complaint to the Cyber Crime Offences and Narcotics police station, North Division in Bengaluru, his counsel said: "I have reliably learnt that politically motivated fake, fabricated, concocted video has been made by making use of our MP D.V. Sadananda Gowda."

"The same is being circulated on social media and Facebook. The said creation of the video is only to tarnish his image. The same is politically motivated. The said video came to be created by way of impersonation. It is uploaded on Facebook, Whatsapp and other social media.

"In the view of the matter, I request you to take suitable action to block off the circulation of the said video and also to take suitable action against the wrongdoers strictly in accordance with law and protect his image," the complaint read.

Sadananda Gowda said that "malefactors, who are upset by my rise on the political front, have brought out a fake, lewd video of mine for my fall. The video has become viral on social media, which pains me".

He had obtained an injunction order from the court against publishing and circulating the video, and also appealed to people to bring it to his notice if anyone is indulging in circulating the video.

"A complaint has been filed with concerned authorities, to arrest and punish the guilty parties immediately," he said.

Sadananda Gowda also told his well-wishers that a morphed ("deep fake") video of him has been making rounds on social media and he would like to inform that it was not him in the video which was "created to malign his impeccable image by his adversaries with a vested interest".

A video that purportedly shows the former Union Minister soliciting a woman on a video call went viral earlier in the day.

A complaint has also been filed with Bengaluru's Commissioner of Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, R.T.Nagar.