Today, on 20th January, The Supreme Court dismissed YouTuber Savukku Shankar’s plea seeking unsealing of his Chennai office and return of seized devices in an assault and extortion case. Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma advised approaching the judicial magistrate.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court dismissed a petition from YouTuber Savukku Shankar, who sought to have his office in Chennai unsealed and his seized devices returned. This was in relation to allegations of assault and extortion involving a film producer.
A bench comprised of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma declined to entertain Shankar’s appeal against an order from the Madras High Court and advised him to approach the judicial magistrate instead.
The bench remarked to senior advocate Balaji Srinivasan, who represented Shankar,
“Don’t think the writ court is the panacea for all ills. Dismissed,”
Also Read: Supreme Court Orders Consolidation of Multiple FIRs Against YouTuber Savukku Shankar
On December 30, 2025, the Madras High Court had refused to stay the sealing order and instructed the YouTuber to seek recourse under Sections 105 to 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
His mother claimed that he was repeatedly targeted by law enforcement for his investigative reporting and criticism of the state government aired through his YouTube channel, Savukku Media. The Court noted that a preventive detention order under the Goondas Act issued in May 2024 was earlier quashed by the High Court.
It further observed that a second detention order, passed immediately thereafter, was subsequently withdrawn by the State before the Supreme Court. The Bench remarked that the successive invocation of detention laws against the same individual raised grave concerns over the potential misuse of statutory authority.
The Court had said,
“This Court has time and again reiterated that due process of law shall not be misused to target specific individuals, who have fallen out of favour with the State Government. The professionalism and discipline of the uniformed personnel shall not be compromised under any circumstances by indulging in such forceful action unnecessarily. This series of allegations and the nature and mode of arrest as detailed in the affidavit raise suspicion as to the veracity of the allegations against the petitioner’s son,”
Also Read: Madras High Court Grants Bail to YouTuber Savukku Shankar in Misinformation Case
In his plea, Shankar requested the unsealing of his office located at No. 111, Aranganathan Illam, 2nd Floor, Jai Kasthuri Parthasarathy Nagar, 3rd Street, Adambakkam, Chennai, and also sought to prevent police personnel from being stationed at the entrance of his office.
Savukku Shankar is a Tamil YouTuber, activist, and social commentator known for his channel, Savukku Media, where he discusses alleged corruption and critiques government officials. His activities have led to multiple legal challenges over the past year.
Earlier, on December 13, the Chennai police arrested Shankar following a standoff at his residence, which followed a complaint from film producer Purushothaman accusing him of assault and extorting Rs. 2 lakh.
The Madras High Court had granted Shankar interim bail on December 26, observing that repeated restrictions on his personal liberty by the Tamil Nadu Police amounted to an “abuse of process of law.” He was arrested on December 13 and charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The prosecution alleged that he extorted money from the producer.
Also Read: Dalit Welfare Scheme: SC Orders Madras HC to Hear Savukku Shankar’s PIL Seeking CBI Probe
On December 26, 2025, the High Court granted him 12 weeks of interim bail on medical grounds after his mother highlighted his cardiac and diabetic conditions. During these proceedings, the court criticized the state police for their alleged “harassment tactics against dissenters.”
Subsequently, Shankar filed another plea seeking to unfreeze his bank accounts and recover his seized electronic devices and other confiscated items. However, the vacation bench of the Madras High Court declined to entertain this request, urging him instead to seek remedies from the Saidapet jurisdictional magistrate court.
Shankar has also initiated public interest litigations (PILs) demanding CBI investigations into alleged irregularities in government sanitation worker schemes, although previous requests for such investigations have been denied by the High Court.
Case Title: Shankar@ Savukku Shankar v. The Inspector of Police
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
