Activist Mahesh Shetty Thimoradi held for comments against BJP’s BL Santosh; Police on lookout for YouTuber Sameer

MANGALURU, BENGALURU: The Udupi police on Thursday arrested social activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi from his house in Ujire in connection with a case related to inappropriate comments made against BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh. On the other hand, the Dharmasthala police have launched a search for YouTuber Sameer M D who made several videos on the Dharmasthala case.

On Thursday morning, the Udupi police arrived at Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi’s house in eight vehicles to arrest him when a major argument broke out between the polie and his supporters including Girish Mattannavar.

A case had been registered against Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi under various sections of the BNS after he posted obscene remarks against B L Santosh on his Facebook page. Following this, the BJP Rural mandal president Rajeev Kulal had registered a complaint.

Meanwhile, a team of the Dharmasthala police searched for YouTuber Sameer at Bannerghatta on the outskirts of Bengaluru where he is believed to be living in a rented house. The police had registered a suo motu case against him on July 17 and had given him a notice to present himself for inquiry within 15 days.

Sameer’s advocates have, in the meanwhile, submitted an anticipatory bail application at the Belthangady court. He has been accused of making an AI-generated video to spread fasleshoods against the pilgrim town on Dharmasthala on YouTube.

After locating his house at Hullalli in Bannerghatta through call detail records and mobile data dump, the Dharmasthala police, along with the Bannerghatta police, visited the house, but Sameer was not at home. The police informed the family members to inform them if they come to know about his whereabouts and returned.

Sameer stayed with his grandmother at Bandihatti near Cowl Bazaar in Ballari as a young boy. He studied there up to Class 8 and later shifted to Bannerghatta where he completed his BCA course. His father hailed from Guntkal in Andhra Pradesh, but is no more, sources said.

Sameer is not linked to any organisation in Ballari and lives in Bengaluru with the mother and sister. When he first made a video about Dharmasthala, a case had been registered at the Cowl Bazaar police station in Ballari this year, but the police did not find him to be living there.