Dakshina Kannada – Popular Kannada YouTuber Sameer MD has been booked by the Dakshina Kannada police for allegedly spreading misinformation via an AI-generated video on the sensitive and high-profile Dharmasthala secret burial case, Indian Express reported.
The 23-minute-52-second video, titled “Who Are Serial K!llrs of Dharmasthala?”, was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday and has already crossed 3.1 million views. The content revolves around shocking claims by a former sanitation worker, who alleged that he was forced to bury sexual assault victims in the forests near the temple town of Dharmasthala.
However, police officials said the video included fabricated details and unverified claims that exceeded the scope of the actual court testimony and official complaint filed by the whistleblower. Authorities also believe AI tools were used to enhance the video’s credibility and realism.
A case has been registered at the Dharmasthala police station under Sections 192, 240, and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, which cover false information, provocation with intent to cause riot, and spreading misinformation regarding an offence.
This isn’t the first time Sameer MD has stirred controversy. In April, he was served notice in a ₹10 crore defamation case by representatives of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala, who accused him of deliberately maligning the religious institution in an earlier video on the 2008 unsolved murder of a college student.
The secret burial allegations first emerged after the ex-worker, who had fled Dharmasthala years ago, returned and filed a complaint, stating that he had remained silent due to threats from his superiors and was now acting out of guilt.
Police investigations into both the video and the burial allegations are currently underway.