Supreme Court Halts Proceedings Against YouTuber Savukku Shankar: A Legal Relief

The Supreme Court has stayed coercive actions against YouTuber Savukku Shankar in 16 FIRs lodged by Tamil Nadu Police. Shankar, arrested for alleged derogatory statements about women police, was released by orders from the apex and Madras High Court but faced repeated detentions. The court emphasized the protection of free speech in democracy.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has stayed the coercive proceedings against well-known YouTuber Savukku Shankar in connection with 16 FIRs filed by the Tamil Nadu Police. The FIRs are based on his controversial remarks about women police personnel in an interview on a YouTube channel.

Shankar, 48, was previously arrested by the Coimbatore Police on May 4 for the alleged derogatory statements made in an April 30 interview on the 'RedPix 24x7' YouTube channel, leading to multiple FIRs. Although the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court had ordered his release, Shankar faced repeated detentions by the state police.

During a hearing, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud not only issued notices to the state government and police authorities but also put a stay on any further coercive action against Shankar. The court underscored the importance of protecting free speech in a democracy, cautioning against the state's interference with social media posts or YouTube videos.

(With inputs from agencies.)