Mandya YouTuber alleges conspiracy to malign Dharmasthala, seeks SIT probe: Report

A Mandya YouTuber claimed creators were offered money to post anti-Dharmasthala content.

A Mandya-based YouTuber has claimed that some content creators were offered money to post material against Dharmasthala.

The SIT during an examination at a site in Dharmasthala in July. (PTI)

Sumanth, a native of Thoppanahalli in Maddur taluk, alleged, “A conspiracy has been hatched against Dharmasthala, and the YouTubers who promote it have been funded. I also received an offer for this kind of promotion, earlier.”

He further said, according to a report by Deccan Herald, the plan had been in motion for the past two years under the guise of protests seeking justice for Soujanya. “I figured out the conspiracy and refused the paid-promotion. As soon as a case was filed against Sameer, another YouTuber, some people stood in his support. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe should be conducted against those who are luring the YouTubers,” Sumanth demanded.

Meanwhile, Srirangapatna MLA Ramesh Bandisiddegowda praised the steps taken by the Karnataka government in relation to the issue.

“Our state government has done well by forming the SIT. The stigma against Dharmasthala has been cleared and the glory and tradition of the kshetra has been upheld. The investigation has been conducted in such a way that no one can try to taint either Dharmasthala’s Lord Manjunatha or Annappa Swamy again,” he said according to the publication.

The MLA added that the probe had also shielded the government from criticism. “If the SIT investigation had not been done, people would have criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a ‘secularist’. They would have also blamed Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who has good faith in God. There is no substance in the opposition’s demand to hand over this case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” he said.

Dharmasthala case updates

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations of multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala has stepped up its investigation, questioning several people, officials said on Friday.

SIT chief Pronab Mohanty is examining multiple angles in the case and has broadened the scope of inquiry, they said. Mohanty visited the SIT office in Belthangady on Friday to review the progress of the probe. According to officials, activist Girish Mattannavar, who is said to be part of a group that supported the complainant in the case, was also present at the SIT office for questioning.

(With PTI inputs)