Comply with bail conditions, Madurai Bench of MHC directs Savukku Shankar

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar to comply with bail conditions, and told him to appear and sign before District Crime Branch police in Chennai every day.

Earlier, the YouTuber had moved the High Court seeking modification of bail conditions in several cases including the one pending against him before the Palanichettipatti police in Theni and the Cyber Crime Police in Tiruchy.

While the Theni case pertains to ganja possession, the case in Tiruchy is for Shankar’s alleged comment derogating women police officials on social media.

The Palanichettipatti police in Theni district on May 4, booked Shankar and two of his associates under the NDPS Act for illegal possession of ganja. On that day, a special team of police from Coimbatore arrested Shankar in Theni after he was charged with passing derogatory remarks against women cops. The petitioner claimed that he had several cases pending against him across Tamil Nadu and in most of the cases while obtaining bail, he was directed to appear before the police concerned every morning.

Further, he stated that it was physically impossible for him to report at the police stations in different districts simultaneously. Citing these, Shankar requested the court to modify the bail conditions.

Meanwhile, counsel on behalf of the petitioner, said a total of sixteen cases were booked against Shankar by police in various districts and to comply with his bail conditions, the petitioner had been appearing before various police stations on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, after the hearing, said that since most of the cases against the petitioner were concerned with the Crime Branch police, he should appear and sign before the DCB, Chennai every day.