Dharmasthala: YouTuber Sameer appears before police in defamation case

Sameer had moved the Mangaluru court for anticipatory bail after reports of his possible arrest surfaced. (Image: YouTube/@Sameer_Md)

YouTuber Sameer MD on Sunday appeared before Belthangady police in connection with a case filed by police on its own over an alleged defamatory video on the Dharmasthala temple, two days after obtaining anticipatory bail.

Police had earlier pasted notices at his rented residence in Bengaluru and his house in Ballari, directing him to appear for questioning. He arrived at Belthangady police station accompanied by three lawyers and recorded his statement.

Sameer had moved the Mangaluru court for anticipatory bail after reports of his possible arrest surfaced. On Thursday, the court granted him bail, shielding him from detention.

Sameer rose to fame after a single video he uploaded on Dharmasthala went viral. It also led to the police registering a case on its own. He has been accused of posting a communally sensitive video on his channel regarding the case.

His bail plea was moved swiftly when police action was imminent, and the court's order allowed him to avoid custody.

The police registered the suo motu case against him in connection with a 23-minute video posted on his YouTube channel Dhoota.

The police said the video contained imaginary facts, which were neither in the complaint filed by the 45-year-old sanitation worker nor in complainant’s voluntary statement recorded by Magistrate under section 183 of BNSS.

The details mentioned in the video also reveal the identity of the complainant, who had been given protection under the Witness Protection Scheme.

Sameer had widely shared this video and has tried to instigate breach of peace, the complaint said.