Dharmasthala case: Police summon YouTuber M D Sameer after Mangaluru court grants bail

NEW DELHI: Police have issued a notice to YouTuber M D Sameer to appear before the investigating officer on August 24, following criminal charges against him related to the Dharmasthala case content.

The notice was pasted at his Ballari residence after he received anticipatory bail from a Mangaluru court on August 21.A case has been registered against Sameer at the Dharmasthala police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provocation with intent to cause riot, giving false information, and statements conducing to public mischief.The charges stem from a video uploaded by Sameer making allegations about the Dharmasthala case.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is examining his role as part of its ongoing probe.Sameer, who has a significant online following, has maintained that his videos highlight issues ignored by mainstream media. However, authorities allege his recent content amounted to provocation and misinformation that could disturb public order.The court, while granting anticipatory bail, directed Sameer to cooperate with the investigation and refrain from making "inflammatory statements."

In a related development, the SIT has arrested the main complainant in the Dharmasthala case. The complainant, identified as C N Chinnaiah, had previously appeared before the probe panel wearing a mask.Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, claimed he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. During this period, he alleged he was forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors.He has given a statement before a magistrate alleging that some of the victims showed signs of sexual assault. The complainant had alleged multiple murders, rapes, and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.The SIT is currently investigating these serious allegations as part of their probe into the Dharmasthala case.