Dharmasthala mass burial case: Activist alleges YouTubers violated witness protection law

Dharmasthala mass burial case: Activist alleges YouTubers violated witness protection law

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 3, 2025: Activist Prashanth Sambaragi has submitted a complaint to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) alleging that YouTubers interviewed the complainant witness in the ongoing Dharmasthala mass burial case despite him being protected under the Witness Protection Scheme.

Sambaragi argued that such actions could compromise the safety and confidentiality guaranteed to the complainant witness.

In his complaint, he said the deliberate act of releasing the interviews immediately after complainant witness was taken into custody by SIT shows a pre-planned strategy and criminal conspiracy. The entire sequence of events establishes that the interviews were not accidental or coincidental, but pre-meditated, coordinated, and executed with the intention of interfering in the investigation and obstructing the justice process."

At present, when the investigation by the SIT is still under process, these YouTubers have deliberately released said videos to the public domain, the complaint stated. Such videos have already reached several viewers and are creating widespread confusion among the public regarding the investigation and the credibility of the witness, Sambaragi also added.

Sambaragi urged the SIT to take legal action by registering a criminal case against the concerned YouTubers and all those involved in the ’conspiracy’. Their video content and digital evidence should be seized and preserved,their custodial interrogation is essential to unearth the wider conspiracy, the complaint claims.

Speaking to mediapersons after submitting his complaint, Sambaragi said, “Although the court had ordered that the identity of the complainant-witness be kept confidential under the Witness Protection Scheme, these channels violated the order by interviewing him, thereby mocking the law. If money was paid to the YouTubers, that too must be investigated."

The SIT, in its acknowledgement to the complaint, stated that the issue will be examined during the course of the investigation.

Meanwhile, sources in the SIT said the team was examining several new documents from a fresh perspective. The team has conducted a few additional inquiries and thoroughly reviewed facts and other related matters to gain deeper insights into the case.

As part of the investigation, mahazar was carried out at Ujire and Belthangady.