YouTuber Felix Jerald on Monday has approached the Delhi High Court, claiming a violation of his human rights by the Tamil Nadu police, who he alleges detained him illegally.
Following his petition, Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri allowed Jerald time to submit additional documents supporting his claims.
Jerald contends that he was arrested for hosting a controversial interview with fellow YouTuber Savukku Shankar on his channel.
This interview reportedly included objectionable remarks regarding the Madras High Court and Tamil Nadu’s women police officers. The court has scheduled the matter for hearing on December 16.
The journalist asserts he was detained for two days without his family or friends being informed of his whereabouts, which he describes as an act of malice.
He argues that his arrest violated the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and infringed upon his fundamental rights.
In his plea, filed by advocates Surya Prakash and Avinash Kumar, Jerald seeks ₹1 crore in compensation from the Tamil Nadu government and several police officials for the pain, humiliation, and damage to his reputation caused by his detention.
Jerald, who operates the “RedPix 24×7” YouTube channel, interviewed Savukku Shankar on April 30, focusing on alleged targeting of Shankar’s media outlet by the Tamil Nadu government. Following this interview, Shankar was arrested by Coimbatore police on May 4 for his comments about women police personnel. Jerald’s channel was also named in the FIR related to the case.
According to the plea, Jerald had scheduled an appointment with the Press Council of India chairperson on May 11 and intended to extend his stay in Delhi.
However, he claims that at around 11 PM on May 10, he was “unexpectedly abducted by individuals claiming to be from the Tamil Nadu police.” The plea suggests these individuals were police personnel from the Trichy Rural District, detaining him in connection with a case filed by the Trichy Cyber Crime Police.
Jerald alleges he was not informed about the FIR or the reasons for his arrest and did not receive prior notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He also claims that the police did not inform his family about his detention and failed to produce him before a court in Delhi for the required transit process, or before a local court in Trichy within the mandated 24 hours.
After being held for 66 hours, Jerald was eventually presented before a Tiruchirappalli court on May 13 and remanded to 15 days in police custody.
Although the Madras High Court granted him bail on July 31, it directed him to shut down his YouTube channel. However, this order was later stayed by the Supreme Court.
Jerald has now described his treatment by the Tamil Nadu police as “gross human rights violations,” underscoring the serious implications of his case.
