Seven cases in a week: A detailed look at charges against ‘Savukku’ Shankar

After Tamil YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on May 4, he has been booked in seven different cases, including for possession of ganja. The cases are registered in different districts – Theni, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, and Chennai. The complainants include a police sub inspector, inspector, and deputy superintendent, a journalist, and a politician. While four of the cases are based on statements he made in an interview, one of the First Information Reports (FIR) is based on a six-year-old complaint by a journalist. 

Shankar was initially arrested in Theni for the alleged defamatory comments about women police personnel during the interview, and other cases were slapped on him subsequently. TNM has accessed details of all the cases; here is a break up of the cases against ‘Savukku’ Shankar.

A Shankar, alias ‘Savukku’ Shankar, was a former employee of Tamil Nadu’s Department of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC). He first shot to fame in 2008 after leaking audio recordings from DVAC that exposed alleged illegal wiretapping practices. He soon became a critic of various governments, particularly in matters involving corruption allegations. Though controversial, he also became one of the most familiar faces in Tamil YouTube. Lately, Savukku Shankar has often come under criticism for his personal attacks on politicians and police personnel.