Popular Kannada YouTuber Sameer MD has been booked over a video on the ongoing Dharmasthala mass burials case. The viral video discusses the allegations of a former sanitation worker that he was forced to bury victims of sexual assault while he was employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration.
The 23.52-minute-long video, titled “Who Are Serial K!llrs of Dharmasthala?”, has amassed over 4 million views since it was uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, July 12. A disclaimer in the video states, “All the events, places, and statements shown in this video are shared directly by the witness.”
According to the Dakshina Kannada police, the video was generated using artificial intelligence and contained fabricated and misleading information about the case. The police also said that its contents went beyond what was stated in the official complaint filed by the whistleblower and what was recorded during his court testimony on July 11. The video also revealed details about the complainant that are not available in the public domain.
Sameer has been booked under Sections 192, 240, and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by the Dharmasthala police station. The charges include wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot and spreading false information about an offence.
The mass burials case gained public attention after a sanitation worker, previously employed by Dharmasthala temple administration, alleged that he was forced to bury multiple bodies showing signs of sexual assault. The whistleblower also alleged that he was threatened into silence by his superiors and had fled the town nearly a decade ago. He returned to Karnataka recently, stating he was driven by guilt, and filed a complaint with the police.
The man, whose identity is not known, recorded his statement in a closed court room before the Principal Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate First Class, Belthangady taluk, under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
YouTuber Sameer rose to fame after his 39-minute video on the rape and murder of Sowjanya, a 17-year-old college student from Dharmasthala, went viral. Santhosh Rao, the man arrested in the Sowjanya case on October 9, 2012, was acquitted in July 2023 due to a botched investigation.
In April this year, a Bengaluru court issued notice in a Rs 10-crore defamation suit filed against Sameer over the video. The suit was filed by representatives of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala, including D Harshendra Kumar and Nischal D, who alleged that the content was defamatory and targeted the religious institution.
Sowjanya’s family has consistently alleged that the real perpetrators were shielded by someone powerful as one of them had links to the religious institution.s