E-Paper
SC orders release of YouTuber Savukku Shankar after TN revokes detention
The top court was hearing a petition by YouTuber Savukku Shankar’s mother who challenged the August 12 detention order under the Goondas Act
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday told the Tamil Nadu government to immediately release YouTuber Savukku Shankar detained under the Goondas Act after the state informed that his detention has been revoked on the recommendation of the Advisory Board.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for the state government, informed the court that no orders would be required as the advisory board revoked the detention order on Wednesday (September 25).
A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took the statement on record and disposed of the petition, saying, “In view of the aforesaid, the detenue Savukku Shankar shall be released forthwith, if not required in any other case.”
The top court was hearing a petition filed by Shankar’s mother A Kamala who challenged the detention order of August 12 under the Goondas Act, formally known as Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Goonda, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982.
Advocate Balaji Srinivasan appearing for Shankar’s mother submitted that the fresh detention order was issued to prevent his release from jail and that a similar detention order was issued on May 12, which was struck down by the Madras high court on August 9.
Srinivasan said that Shankar exposed cases of corruption in the state government, including the cash-for-jobs case involving former minister V Senthil Balaji, who resigned in February this year.
The state denied these charges and had told the court that the latest detention order was passed following recovery of narcotic substance from his possession.
Shankar, a former employee of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) who later started Savukku Media comprising a web portal and a YouTube channel, faces 16 FIRs in the state following an interview on YouTube where he made controversial statements against women police officers.
Shankar has also challenged these FIRs in a separate petition and sought orders to club them since the cases were linked to the same interview given by him in April. On August 14, the court issued notice on this plea and stayed any coercive action against him in these FIRs.
The top court also asked the government to confirm that the FIRs relate to the same interview, observing that they would need to be clubbed if this was the case. The FIRs have been lodged under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Act, Information Technology Act and separate provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
