YouTuber Savukku Shankar Detained Under Goondas Act

YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar, currently lodged in the Coimbatore Central prison, was on Sunday detained under the Goondas Act.

Based on the orders of Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai, Sandeep Rai Rathore, the detention order under the Goondas Act was served on Shankar by a cyber crime (Chennai) police inspector on May 12, Chennai city police said.

There are seven cases pending against Shankar in Chennai police's central crime branch/cyber crime out of which three are under investigation, charge sheets have been filed in two and the remaining are pending trial, according to a Chennai police press note. Forty eight-year-old Shankar was arrested by Coimbatore police on May 4 in southern Theni for alleged derogatory statements about women police personnel/police officials in an interview to a YouTube channel.

When he was brought in a police van to Coimbatore, the vehicle met with an accident at Dharapuram, leading to injuries to the occupants. The channel head, Felix Gerald, who interviewed Shankar (second accused) has also been arrested. Other cases Shankar faces include one for possession of ganja, that was registered by Theni police.

The YouTuber had submitted in court that he was assaulted in Coimbatore prison. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami had batted for an inquiry by a judge to ascertain if Shankar was assaulted inside the prison while maintaining that legal action could be pursued against him if he had violated the law. Palaniswami also had flayed inaction against persons allegedly belonging to the DMK who had made demeaning remarks against women.

A detenu under the Goondas Act may be imprisoned for one year; subject to scrutiny by an advisory board and the validity of such detentions are also examined by the High Court based on petitions filed by the affected persons. Days ago, BJP Mahila Morcha national chief Vanathai Srinivasan had hit out at the DMK government over the arrest of Shankar and said that the Tamil Nadu's ruling party still believed in the "old practice" of foisting Ganja case against critics which was "shameful".

Furthermore, she had said that if members of public submit complaints of defamation, they are directed by police to file defamation case in court. In select cases, police choose arrest and also file other cases, she said apparently referring to Shankar's arrest.

Shankar, who has been accused by a number of people of making personal attacks and uncivil remarks is also a strong critic of the DMK regime and Chief Minister M K Stalin. A former special assistant in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Shankar was accused in 2008 of leaking sensitive conversations between officials and a court had years later acquitted him in that case.