YouTuber Savukku Shankar Walks Free: Madras High Court Grants Interim Bail Amid Concerns of Targeting

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Chennai, India - In a significant development, YouTuber Savukku Shankar has been released from Puzhal central prison, after the Madras High Court granted him three months' interim bail. The court's decision comes on the back of a medical history of cardiac ailments and diabetes, which led to concerns about his medical treatment. Shankar, a video journalist and CEO of Savukku Media Private Limited, was arrested on December 13 for allegedly assaulting and extorting a film producer. His mother, A Kamala, had filed an appeal, citing the need for her son's release to provide necessary medical care. The vacation Bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and P Dhanabal observed that Shankar's repeated incarceration raised suspicions about whether he was being targeted by the law enforcement agency. The court noted that the YouTube journalist had been subjected to the Goondas Act on multiple occasions for expressing his views on YouTube videos, and that a detention order was set aside by the court in August 2024. The court expressed concerns about the misuse of the law against specific individuals who have fallen out of favor with the state government. Shankar was directed to provide a personal bond of ₹one lakh before the Prison Superintendent to be released on interim bail. With this development, Shankar has been released from prison, and has taken to social media to express his gratitude, saying, "Did you think I would be defeated?" The case has sparked a wider debate about the use of law enforcement against individuals who express dissenting views.