Court grants anticipatory bail to YouTuber in Dharmasthala case

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Aug 21 (PTI) A Mangaluru court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to YouTuber Sameer MD, who is facing criminal charges over content related to the Dharmasthala case.

A case was registered against him at the Dharmasthala police station under Sections 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 240 (giving false information) and 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police said the charges were linked to a video uploaded by Sameer, in which he made allegations connected to the controversial case.

This is not the first time the YouTuber has faced legal action.

In April, a Bengaluru court issued notice to him in connection with a Rs 10-crore defamation suit filed by Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala representatives D Harshendra Kumar and Nischal D.

The suit alleged that Sameer had deliberately targeted the religious institution by posting defamatory content about the unsolved 2008 murder of a college student.

Sameer, who commands a sizeable online following, has often claimed that his work highlights issues ignored by mainstream media.

Authorities, however, maintain that his recent content amounted to provocation and dissemination of misinformation, with the potential to disturb public order.

Granting him anticipatory bail, the court directed that he cooperate with the investigation and refrain from making inflammatory statements.

Police sources said monitoring of digital content linked to sensitive cases would continue to prevent the spread of misinformation and unrest.

The Special Investigation Team, formed by the state government, is probing allegations of multiple murders, rapes, and burials across different places in Dharmasthala over the past two decades. The investigation first began based on the complaint lodged by a former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been revealed. PTI COR AMP SSK KH