Mangaluru: Social media content creator Sameer MD has strongly denied allegations that he received funds from terror organisations or foreign sources in connection with the Dharmasthala mass-burial case campaign.
In a 9.57-minute video released on his YouTube channel, recorded from inside a car, Sameer said he was being repeatedly targeted on social media and by some sections of the media, dismissing the charges as baseless.
Claims of false funding allegations
“One of the biggest allegations is about funds. Some say I get money from terror outfits, others allege I receive crores from abroad. Because I am Muslim, I have been hearing this,” Sameer stated. He noted that the rumours began soon after he started campaigning for justice in the 2012 rape and murder of a pre-university student near Dharmasthala.
“There is no such funding. If there were any truth to such claims, investigators would already have unearthed evidence. Police have all my details. I have submitted bank passbooks and statements of both my accounts,” he explained, displaying the documents in his video.
Backs SIT investigation
Sameer said he fully trusts the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing the alleged secret burials linked to the Dharmasthala case. “Let the investigation continue. I am confident that the truth will come out,” he remarked.
He reiterated that he has cooperated with investigators and rejected attempts to link his activism with any unlawful financial activities.
Allegations and counter-narratives
The SIT has been conducting spot mahazars and questioning multiple witnesses, including complainants who earlier claimed to have found human remains near the Nethravathi bathing ghat. Recent testimonies, including that of Sowjanya’s uncle Vittal Gowda, suggested the presence of multiple skeletal remains, fuelling further speculation and controversy.
Meanwhile, complainant “mask man” Chinnayya was arrested for perjury after allegedly providing false statements about exhuming a skull, leading to more scrutiny of the case.
Sameer’s denial comes amid heightened public interest and polarised narratives on social media regarding the Dharmasthala case.
Conclusion
By publicly sharing his financial records and dismissing allegations of foreign or terror-linked funding, Sameer sought to clear his name and shift focus back to the ongoing SIT investigation. With the probe still in progress, further clarity on the claims and counterclaims is expected in the coming weeks.