CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday granted three months’ interim bail to YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar, pulling up the state authorities for repeatedly curtailing his personal liberty and advising them to focus on “big fishes” thriving on corruption instead of targeting individuals exercising their fundamental rights.
A vacation bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and P Dhanabal granted bail to Shankar from December 26, 2025 to March 25, 2026, taking into account his past medical history of cardiac ailments and diabetes. The order was passed on a petition filed by his mother, A Kamala.
Shankar has been incarcerated since December 13, 2025, following his arrest in an extortion case registered by the Greater Chennai Police.
Pulling up the state, the bench observed that the repeated registration of criminal cases against Shankar amounted to harassment and resulted in mental agony not only to the prisoner but also to his family members.
“The history of registering criminal cases and the orders passed by this court would show that the law-enforcing agencies are not only harassing but causing mental agony to the prisoner as well as to the family members,” the court said.
“Taking note of the submissions and considering the medical condition of the prison inmate (Shankar) and repeated curtailment of his personal liberty, this court is inclined to release on bail from Dec. 26, 2025 to March 25, 2026,” the bench said in its order.
Stating that dissenting voices are permitted in Parliament and State Assemblies, the judges questioned why the authorities were “running behind journalists and persons like Shankar” for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of speech.
“If you are aggrieved over the dissenting voice, you shall move the civil court with a defamation suit, none will object to it. If you touch upon fundamental liberty, it affects constitutional rights,” the bench remarked.
Advising the authorities to act against corruption, the court said, “Let them serve the people or catch big fishes and register complaints already lying with the DVAC. Show your courage, your government will be appreciated by everybody.”
The bench further cautioned that “the due process of law should not be misused” to target individuals.