MANGALURU: The Special Investigation Team(SIT) investigating the Dharmasthala mass burial allegations case has started gathering crucial information related to the complainant now named as accused for fraud and fabricated evidence.
A team of SIT officials has gone to Mandya and Tamil Nadu and are collecting details from his family members and friends. The witness-complainant, now named as accused, is found to have resided in a village in Mandya and also in Tamil Nadu along with his family.
Sameer appears for questioning
YouTuber Sameer MD appeared for questioning at Belthangady police station on Sunday after he was booked for false claims in his video. Earlier, the Dharmasthala police had issued an arrest warrant against Sameer for fake news and revealing sensitive details of the witness-complainant in the alleged burial case, but he managed to secure an anticipatory bail.
Dharmasthala PSI Samarth R Ganigera had filed a complaint on July 12 after Sameer aired the video on his YouTube channel ‘Dhootha,’ revealing some of the sensitive details related to the case. Later, Dharmasthala police registered a suo motu case under Sections 240 (false information), 192 (provocation with the intent to cause a riot), and 353(1)(B) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the BNS. Sameer was accused of creating an AI-generated 23-minute and 52-second-long video in which he had “created some of the fabricated details that went beyond the formal complaint of the witness-complainant and statement recorded before the court” despite the complainant being protected under the Witness Protection Scheme of 2018 and concealing his identity.He has been asked to appear for questioning once again on Monday.
