Dharmasthala burial case: Kannada YouTuber booked for spreading AI-generated ‘false’ information

YouTuber Sameer MD has been charged by Dakshina Kannada police for spreading misinformation in an AI-generated video about the Dharmasthala burial case.

Popular Kannada YouTuber Sameer MD has been booked by the Dakshina Kannada police for allegedly spreading misinformation through an AI-generated video on the 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. (YouTube screengrab)

The 23-minute-52-second video, titled “Who Are Serial K!llrs of Dharmasthala?”, was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday and has since garnered over 3.1 million views.

The video discusses the explosive claims made by a former sanitation worker, who alleged that he was forced to secretly bury sexual assault victims in the forests around the temple town of Dharmasthala.

According to the publication, police officials stated that the video presented fabricated details that went beyond the content of the official complaint filed by the whistleblower and the sworn statement he gave in court on Friday.

The video also allegedly included additional unverified information about the complainant, the report further added.

Authorities believe the video was created using artificial intelligence tools to make it appear credible. A case against Sameer MD has been registered at Dharmasthala police station under sections 192, 240, and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot and giving false information regarding an offence.

This isn’t the first time Sameer MD has courted controversy. In April, a Bengaluru court served him a notice in connection with a ₹10-crore defamation lawsuit filed over a previous video related to the unsolved 2008 murder of a college student. The suit was filed by Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala representatives D Harshendra Kumar and Nischal D, who accused the YouTuber of deliberately targeting the religious institution through defamatory content.

The secret burial case gained public attention after a former sanitation worker, employed in Dharmasthala over a decade ago, came forward with serious allegations. He claimed that he had been coerced into burying multiple bodies that showed signs of sexual assault and was threatened by his superiors to stay silent. After fleeing Dharmasthala, the man said he returned recently due to “guilty consciousness” and filed a formal complaint.