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Chennai police submits file on Savukku’s arrest
The final hearing of the habeas corpus petition filed by whistleblower-turned-YouTuber Savukku Shankar’s mother challenging his detention will be held on Friday
Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore on Thursday submitted the file related to the invocation of Goondas Act against whistleblower-turned-YouTuber Savukku Shankar, following directions from the Madras high court earlier in the day. This was based on a habeas corpus petition filed by Shankar’s mother challenging his detention.
During the hearing earlier in the day, the summer vacation bench of justices G R Swaminathan and PB Balaji asked the prosecution to be ready for final hearing of the petition on Friday. The Chennai police chief had invoked the Goondas Act against Shankar on May 12 after he was arrested by the Coimbatore police in Theni on May 4 on charges of defaming women police officers. He was later booked in at least five cases including in Chennai.
The Goondas Act against Shankar was invoked on the complaint of an officer of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). The Goondas detention order was served to him in the Coimbatore prison.
“There are seven cases including the aforementioned case are pending against Shankar in the CCB/Cyber Crime PS of the GCP, out of which three cases are under Investigation, charge sheets have been filed in two cases, the remaining two cases are pending trial,” the Chennai police said on May 12.
Shankar’s mother A Kamala had contended in her petition that her son was facing this because he is a strong critic of the state government and the police. She added that the police broke her son’s right arm in the Coimbatore prison. She has filed another writ petition seeking an inquiry by the National Human Rights Centre (NHRC) into the alleged custodial violence he faced in the prison. The Madras high court on May 8 directed the Coimbatore district legal services authority to submit a report on the health condition based on the first habeas corpus petition filed by Shankar’s mother that he is facing custodial violence.
On May 9, the high court closed the petition filed by Shankar’s mother after directing the prison authorities to consider her representation for shifting her son from Coimbatore central prison to any other prison since she complained of custodial violence and feared threat to his life. On May 16, Shankar was then taken to Mahatma Gandhi memorial government hospital (MGMGH) for medical examination ahead of police custody obtained by the Trichy police for one day. Shankar has moved the principal special court for Essential Commodities (EC) and NDPS Act cases in Madurai seeking bail. However the local court on May 21 granted police two days custody to interrogate Shankar.
