CHENNAI: YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar was arrested by the Greater Chennai Police on Saturday in an alleged case of threatening an individual with publication of defamatory content to extort money. He was remanded in judicial custody till December 26.
The arrest happened after hours of drama that began on Saturday morning, when police personnel knocked on the doors of his house at a multi-storey apartment block on Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road. Shankar refused to open the door, demanding that the police first explain the reason for the arrest to his advocates, while posting videos on social media about his impending arrest and how he was allegedly targeted by the government and a few police officials in particular.
Though a few advocates turned up at his door, the police reportedly insisted that they would disclose the reason for the arrest and follow due process once Shankar allowed them inside. As the stand-off continued, the city police sought the help of the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services. A team from the fire department broke open the door’s lock, after which the police entered Shankar’s home, where his elderly mother also lives, and arrested him a little after 2 pm.
The city police did not officially confirm to the media regarding the case for which Shankarwas arrested. However, sources in the police told TNIE that the arrest was in connection to a case filed by the Saidapet police based on a complaint from Harichandran, alleging criminal intimidation and extortion. The complainant had alleged that Shankar posted false and defamatory information about a bar with the intent to cause financial loss to the business. He further alleged that the YouTuber threatened to to publish more if he was not paid.
Police sources, in the remand report, said Shankar allegedly extorted Rs 94,000 from the complainant via UPI transaction and threatened to kill him if he approached the police.
However, Shankar, in a video posted minutes before his arrest and in his brief comment to the media after the arrest, said one of his employees received Rs 94,000 via UPI the night before and his team was in fact trying to figure out who had sent it.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran and the AIADMK strongly condemned the arrest and blamed the DMK for targeting media persons, who criticised the government.