YouTuber Arrested for Allegedly Swindling Money for Temple Renovation

YouTuber Karthik Gopinath runs the channel Ilaya Bharatham and is a critic of DMK.

Tamil Nadu’s Avadi Police Commissionerate arrested YouTuber S Karthik Gopinath on Monday for the alleged illegal collection of funds for the renovation of a temple. Karthik runs the channel ‘Ilaya Bharatham’. He has been taken under judicial custody till 13 June, ANI reported.

“Gopinath was arrested by Avadi police in the morning hours for fraudulently collecting funds in the name of renovating Siruvachur Temple managed by the HR&CE department,” said police officials.

The arrest was reportedly made after Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department Executive Officer filed a complaint alleging that he cheated devotees and collected over Rs 50 lakh to renovate the statues in Arulmigu Madhura Kaliamman temple in Perambalur.

The News Minute reported that the police informed that Kathik used the fundraising platform Milaap to collect the funds without the permission of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department which manages the temple. The money is still in Milaap’s accounts and hasn’t been released to the YouTuber, according to the fundraising platform.

NDTV further reported that Karthik is a critic of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and is supposedly close to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Annamalai.

Annamalai also tweeted in Karthick’s support, “As usual DMK is resorting to intimidatory tactics when under pressure. The arrest of Karthik Gopinath on completely trumped charges is not only condemnable but also shows the level to which this Government will go to silence an uncomfortable voice."

Karthik Gopinath is Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) critic and said to be close to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Annamalai.

Annamalai has tweeted, "As usual DMK is resorting to intimidatory tactics when under pressure. The arrest of Karthick Gopinath on completely trumped charges is not only condemnable but also shows the level to which this Government will go to silence an uncomfortable voice. Spoke to his father some time back and had assured him @BJP4TamilNadu will stand behind this nationalist & our legal team will support him.”