Bengaluru court restrains 42 defendants over Siddaramaiah 'honey trap' videos

A Bengaluru civil court on October 13, 2026 issued an ex parte order restraining 42 defendants, including Freedom TV Kannada, the Karnataka Honey Trap YouTube channel, and WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook, from publishing two videos linking former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to an alleged honey trap. The order records a prima facie case and irreparable harm but omits the 'balance of convenience' test required by the Supreme Court in Bloomberg v. Zee.

• The ban covers videos dated September 27 and October 2, 2026 and any clips or extracts
• Defendants No. 28–32 were ordered to disable access to the videos
• The order runs 'till next date' and is conditional on service under Order XXXIX Rule 3(a)
• Siddaramaiah also seeks damages in defamation suit O.S. No. 7655/2026