The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, March 11, granted interim relief to Kannada YouTuber Sameer MD by staying criminal proceedings initiated against him in connection with a video titled "Dharmasthala Soujanya Case." The video, uploaded in February, revisits the 2012 rape and murder of Sowjanya, a college student in Karnataka, highlighting alleged lapses in police investigation.
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar issued the interim stay order following a petition filed by Sameer seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him. Sameer's counsel argued that the video contained no direct insults towards any religion, maintaining that all statements were based on publicly available information.
The FIR, filed under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alleged that the video contained indirect insinuations against a specific place and individual associated with a temple administration. Sameer's counsel argued that the police action lacked grounds as the content merely discussed public events and issues, Bar and Bench reported.
The Court's decision halts any further action against Sameer until the next hearing on March 19. This follows an earlier stay order by Justice M Nagaprasanna on a police notice issued against Sameer, citing procedural irregularities in the issuance without attaching a copy of the FIR.
What is in the video?
The video, which extensively uses AI-generated graphics, has been viewed 1.45 crore times since it was uploaded on February 27, with over 46,000 people leaving comments, and some commenters even paying the YouTuber small amounts through the video-sharing platform. Most of the video is about the botched police investigation in the Sowjanya case. However, the video also briefly goes into the clout that head of Dharmasthala temple, Veerendra Heggade, and his family wield without naming them. Instead, the YouTuber uses the term “gowdaru” to refer to the Heggade family.
On March 5, the Cowl Bazar police station in Ballari district registered a suo motu complaint against Sameer, booking him under Section 299 (offending religious sentiments) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In the complaint, Cowl Bazar sub-inspector M Ningappa stated that the Sameer had “indirectly” alleged that “world renowned” Veerendra Heggade and his family members were involved not only in the rape and murder of Sowjanya but other murders too. “This video hurts the religious sentiments of those who revere Dharmasthala and the Dharmadhikari,” Ningappa said.
Editor’s Note: TNM has used Sowjanya’s name with written consent from her mother.