The Madras High Court granted bail to YouTuber Savukku Shankar, asserting that the charges against him for alleged misinformation did not justify his arrest. Justice GR Swaminathan emphasized the importance of freedom of speech, stating that individuals should not face punitive action for expressing opinions unless they cause significant harm or incite violence.
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday (Jan 17th) granted bail to YouTuber Savukku Shankar, who was booked for allegedly spreading misinformation. The Court observed that the charges against him did not justify his arrest.
A vacation bench of Justice GR Swaminathan heard the matter and stated that people who were offended by Shankar’s statements could simply choose not to watch his content.
“How could you arrest somebody for this? You just don’t listen to the interview. Those who are interested will listen. That is all,”
the judge remarked, questioning the rationale behind the arrest.
Also Read: Senior Lawyers Urge CJI to Order CBI FIR Against Allahabad HC Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav
Shankar was booked following a complaint by Siva Subramanian, an Inspector with the Chennai Central Crime Branch Land Fraud Investigation Wing.
The complaint alleged that Shankar made “baseless” allegations in a YouTube interview about a case of land fraud under investigation. The police inspector claimed that when he called Shankar for questioning, the YouTuber not only refused to cooperate but also questioned the inspector’s authority during the interaction.
As a result, an FIR was registered against Shankar under Sections 221, 222, 353(1)(b), and 353(2) of the BNS, which deal with obstructing a public servant from discharging their duty and making false statements.
Justice Swaminathan highlighted the unnecessary nature of the arrest, emphasizing that a person’s opinion or statements should not lead to such punitive actions unless they caused significant harm.
Also Read: Supreme Court Grants Notional Promotion to Three Officers in Jharkhand Judicial Service
“The charges do not warrant an arrest,”
the judge said while granting bail.
This decision by the Madras High Court reinforces the principle of freedom of speech and the idea that individuals cannot be penalized for expressing their opinions unless they incite violence or pose a real threat.
Case Title: A Shankar @ Savukku Shankar v The State
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
