SC Stays Coercive Action against YouTuber Savukku Shankar

YouTuber Savukku Shankar has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to detain him again under the Goondas Act, just days after the Madras High Court quashed previous orders issued under the preventive detention law.

A bench, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, has granted Shankar interim relief by staying any further coercive action against him.

“We have stopped all coercive action against him … We have granted protection from any coercive action in all 17 FIRs. File a complete chart of all FIRs as well,” the bench stated.

Advocate Balaji Srinivasan, representing Shankar, informed the Court that the latest detention order was issued after the Madras High Court had already quashed an earlier detention order against Shankar.

According to reports, the latest detention order was issued based on allegations that contraband (ganja) was found in Shankar’s possession. The earlier detention order, passed in May, had cited defamatory comments allegedly made by Shankar against women in an interview with another YouTuber, Felix Jerald.

Shankar remained in detention for over three months, partly due to a disagreement between two judges of the Madras High Court on whether his detention should be quashed on May 24. A third High Court judge, acting as the tie-breaker, termed the May 24 split verdict an “aberration” and referred the case to another Division Bench of the High Court.

These delays prompted Shankar’s mother, A Kamala, to approach the Supreme Court seeking her son’s release. On July 18, the Supreme Court ordered Shankar’s interim release until Kamala’s plea is finally decided by the High Court.

Subsequently, a High Court Bench of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan recused themselves from hearing the matter, citing objectionable comments made by Kamala against the Court in her transfer petition filed before the Supreme Court.

Another High Court Bench, comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam, quashed the May detention order against Shankar. Following his re-detention based on a new case by the Tamil Nadu Police, Shankar once again approached the Supreme Court for relief.