YouTube channel accused of extortion and spreading fake news about Believers Eastern Church

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The museum police have registered a case against Sunil Mathew, the owner of the I2I YouTube channel and Rajesh Babu, the marketing manager, based on a complaint from the Believers Eastern Church. The complaint alleges that they attempted to extort money by threatening the church and spreading fake news. The police have raided the office and the house of one of the accused, who are currently absconding.

The case was registered on the complaint of Mathews Mar Silvanios, president of the Thiruvananthapuram branch of the Believers Eastern Church. According to the complaint, false news was spread alleging that the death of Mar Athanasios Yohan, the President of the Believers Church, was not an accident but a murder. This false information incited unrest among the believers. The complaint also states that the accused threatened to continue spreading such news unless the church provided advertisements to the channel. This was not the first attempt at extortion; the church had resisted similar demands previously.

Mar Silvanios Metropolitan stated that the YouTube channel had created numerous fake news stories following the President's death. There was an attempt to exploit the President's death for personal gain. Legal action is being pursued through the court for making defamatory remarks against church officials.

Mathews Mar Silvanios emphasized that the videos were intended to defame the Believers Church and its Supreme Leader in society and aimed to create division among the believers.