The Supreme Court of
India is currently handling a significant case involving YouTuber Savukku
Shankar, who is facing legal challenges due to 16 FIRs filed against him over
an online interview.
On August 23, the bench comprising Justices JB
Pardiwala and Manoj Misra adjourned the hearing to allow the State of Tamil
Nadu time to submit additional documents related to the case.
During the proceedings,
Justice Pardiwala pointed out the repeated arrests of Shankar, emphasizing how
he is repeatedly detained soon after being released. This observation comes
after Shankar's recent re-arrest under preventive detention laws, shortly after
the Madras High Court quashed his previous detention on August 9, which was
related to alleged adverse remarks against police officials.
Advocate Balaji
Srinivasan, representing Shankar, requested the Supreme Court to tag the
current case with another pending habeas corpus petition challenging Shankar's
recent detention. This habeas corpus petition was filed by Shankar's mother,
and the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices
Pardiwala and Misra, issued a notice seeking a response from the State of Tamil
Nadu on August 22.
However, Senior Advocate
Siddarth Luthra, representing the State, opposed the request to combine the two
matters, arguing that the recent detention pertains to a different offense than
the 16 FIRs in question.
Justice Pardiwala stated
that the decision on whether to combine the cases would be made in the next
hearing.
The Court had earlier, on
August 14, stayed coercive proceedings against Shankar related to the 16 FIRs.
Despite being granted bail on August 12, Shankar was re-detained under the
Tamil Nadu 'Goondas' Act, which allows for preventive detention of individuals
involved in activities considered dangerous to public safety.
The case highlights
ongoing tensions between the state's actions and Shankar's legal challenges,
particularly around the use of preventive detention laws.
