Hours after filing a suo moto case against YouTuber Sameer MD, who operates Kannada YouTube channel Dhoota: Sameer MD, the Ballari police tried to arrest him on March 5 night. The case was regarding a video titled Dharmasthala ‘Sowjanya Case’ uploaded on the channel last week in which Sameer spoke about the murder and rape of 17-year-old Sowjanya in Ujjire in 2012.
Sameer however got relief from the Karnataka High Court that stayed the police summons till March 12.
Justice M Nagaprasanna granted interim relief after noting that the police had failed to provide a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) along with the notice served to Sameer on March 5. The police notice had directed Sameer to appear for questioning the next day. The court said that furnishing a copy of the FIR is mandatory, citing a State government circular issued on December 30, 2024.
