YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar held again under Goondas Act

YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar detained again under NDPS Act in Theni, sparking criticism from MP Karti P. Chidambaram.

Barely three days after the Madras High Court quashed the detention of YouTuber A. Shankar alias ‘Savukku’ Shankar under the Goondas Act, he was detained again on Monday (August 12, 2024), this time for an offence under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Theni.

According to police sources, acting on the proposal of the Theni Superintendent of Police R. Shiva Prasad, the District Collector R.V. Shajeevana issued the detention order. 

The second detention of Mr. Shankar invoking provisions under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act of 1982 is in connection with a case booked in May this year for alleged possession of 500 grams of ganja, the sources said. 

The earlier order of preventive detention was issued by the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, on the basis of three cases, including one which alleged that Mr. Shankar had published a video on February 11 levelling corruption charges in the award of a contract to a private firm for maintaining the new bus stand at Kilambakkam. 

Setting aside the detention order the Madras High Court said there were inconsistencies in the timeline of events thereby causing doubts in the detention order. Further, the court said, there was clear non-application of mind on the part of the detaining authority.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam further ruled that neither of the two other cases relied upon by the Police Commissioner had anything to do with disturbance to public order and therefore, the preventive detention order could not be sustained. 

All India Congress Committee member and Sivaganga MP Karti P. Chidambaram took to social media to criticise the second detention of Mr. Shankar. In post on ‘X’ he said the YouTuber’s “comments can be below the belt & distasteful. He often indulges in hyperbole & sensationalism. But to book him under Goondas again is a flagrant overkill & is unacceptable. Another judicial overturn will happen.”