Savukku Shankar Not Kept In Solitary Confinement: Tamil Nadu Govt Tells Supreme Court
The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday (September 9) told the Supreme Court that YouTuber Savukku Shankar was not kept in solitary confinement.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Shankar's mother Kamala challenging his detention under the Tamil Nadu 'Goondas' Act 1982.
The bench posted the matter to next Tuesday after Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, for the State of Tamil Nadu, pointed out that the connected case filed by Shankar seeking the clubbing of 16 FIRs against him has not been listed today. As the bench agreed to adjourn the hearing, Advocate Balaji Srinivasan, for the petitioner, submitted that Shankar has been kept in solitary confinement in a prison at Madurai and requested that an interim arrangement be provided whereby he is shifted to a prison in Chennai where he can access library and other facilities.
When the bench observed that solitary confinement is not justifiable, the standing counsel for the State of Tamil Nadu stated that Shankar was not under solitary confinement.
The bench recorded this statement. It also asked the lawyers to file written submissions and posted the matter for disposal next Tuesday.
Previously, Srinivasan clarified that the 16 FIRs have been filed against one specific YouTube interview, making it a case for clubbing. He also highlighted how 51% of detentions occur in the State of Tamil Nadu each year with authorities misusing the Goondas Act.
On The Challenge To Detention
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.
It is the case of the petitioner 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).
On The Challenge To 16 FIRs Over His YouTube Interview
In his plea, the petitioner contends that the present FIRs have been filed as a modus operandi to silence his opinions against the present government of the State of Tamil Nadu.
On the last hearing, Srinivasan requested that the petition of Habeas Corpus petition be tagged with the writ petition seeking the quashing of the FIRs. However, this was objected to by Luthra who stated the recent detention done was under a different offence than the present 16 FIRs in question.
The Court on August 14, while issuing notice on a writ petition filed by Shankar, stayed coercive proceedings against him in 16 FIRs. On August 22, notice was issued in the habeas corpus matter.
Case Details : A. Kamala v. State of Tamil Nadu &Ors. W.P.(Crl.) No. 352/2024