Madras High Court Seeks Report On Health Condition Of Youtuber Savukku Shankar Amidst Custodial Torture Allegations

The Madras High Court has called for a report from the District Legal Services Authority, Coimbatore regarding the health condition of YouTuber Savukku Shankar amid allegations of custodial torture.

The vacation bench of Justice AD Jagadish Chandira and Justice R Kalaimathi directed the authority to submit a report by 9th May 2024 after being informed that the DLSA had deputed three empanelled lawyers and a specialist doctor to check Shankar's health. The bench gave the direction on a habeas corpus petition filed by Shankar's mother, A Kamala seeking a judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial torture meted out to Shankar and to give him adequate medical treatment in a government hospital. 

Shankar was arrested by the Coimbatore police on May 4 based on a complaint by a woman journalist for making defamatory remarks against women police officers and was remanded to judicial custody till May 17. Shankar has been charged for offences under Sections 294 (b), 509, 354D and 506 of the IPC read with Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Harassment of Woman (Prevention) Act and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Shankar's mother claimed that Shankar had been brutally attacked by the police while in custody who had caused severe injuries resulting in fracture of the right hand. She further alleged that the prison authorities had also failed to provide adequate treatment which is a violation of his fundamental rights. 

 When the matter was taken up by the vacation bench, Senior Advocate John Sathyan, appearing for Shankar argued that he had no injuries while being taken in custody but now had a fracture in his right hand which clearly pointed to custodial torture/violence. Though he also urged the court to direct authorities to produce Shankar through video conferencing for the court to examine his injuries, the court was not in agreement and opined that the same would mean enlarging the scope of the habeas corpus petition. 

The court, however, directed the DLSA to file its report regarding Shankar's health condition.