'He Comes Out & You Immediately Put Him Behind Bars' : Supreme Court To TN Govt On Savukku Shankar's Detention

The Supreme Court today (August 23) heard the challenge to the 16 FIRs filed against YouTuber Savukku Shankar over an online interview. 

The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra adjourned the hearing allowing some time to the State of Tamil Nadu to file additional documents pertaining to the case.

 "This is the same matter where you are after this man. He comes out and you immediately put him behind bars," Justice Pardiwala orally said during the short hearing.

Notably, Shankar was recently detained again under the preventive detention law soon after the Madras High Court's order on August 9 quashing his previous detention relating to certain alleged adverse remarks against the Police Officials. 

Advocate Balaji Srinivasan appearing for the petitioner requested the Court to tag the present matter with another pending habeas corpus petition challenging Shankar's recent detention. In the said habeas corpus matter, filed by Shankar's mother, the Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra yesterday issued notice and sought a response from the State of Tamil Nadu. 

Senior Advocate Siddarth Luthra appearing for the State objected to the request of clubbing the present matter with the habeas corpus one, as he submitted that the recent detention done was under a different offence than the present 16 FIRs in question.

Considering the paucity of time, Justice Pardiwala said that the question of tagging the matters together will be considered on the next hearing

"We look into it on the next date" 

The Court on August 14, while issuing notice on a writ petition filed by Shankar, stayed coercive proceedings against him in 16 FIRs.

With regards the recent detention, the court was earlier informed that on August 12, Shankar was granted bail and was scheduled to be released from jail at 5PM. On the same day at 5:45 PM, he was again detained indefinitely in connection with an NDPS case in which he was granted bail 4 months ago. It may be noted that the petitioner was detained under Tamil Nadu 'Goondas' Act 1982 (Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Forest Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum-Grabbers and Video Pirates Act). 

Shankar, an independent journalists and YouTuber was arrested on May 4, 2024, for allegedly making defamatory remarks against female police personnel during an interview with the YouTube channel RedPix 24x7 on April 30, 2024. Following this incident, a total of 16 FIRs were filed against Shankar in different districts of Tamil Nadu, all stemming from the same interview. 

In July, the Supreme Court had ordered the interim release of Savukku Shankar from his previous preventive detention which was subsequently quashed by the High Court on August 9 . 

Case Details : A. Shankar @Savukku Shankar v. State of Tamil Nadu &Ors. W.P.(Crl.) No. 000340 / 2024