Today(6th September), The Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court order requiring YouTuber G Felix Gerald to shut down his channel ‘RED PIX 24×7’ as a bail condition. This directive was previously imposed due to his arrest for airing an interview with derogatory remarks about women police personnel.
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NEW DELHI: Today(6th September), the Supreme Court of India stayed the Madras High Court’s direction that required YouTuber G Felix Gerald to shut down his channel ‘RED PIX 24×7’ as a condition of his bail. This directive followed his arrest for airing an interview that contained derogatory remarks about women police personnel.
Background of the Case
G Felix Gerald, a YouTuber and journalist, was arrested in May by the Tamil Nadu Police from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, for broadcasting an interview with fellow YouTuber Savukku Shankar. The interview sparked widespread outrage due to Shankar’s derogatory remarks targeting women police officers.
The Madras High Court, in response to the controversial interview, had imposed a bail condition on Gerald, instructing him to shut down his YouTube channel. This condition was seen as an effort to prevent further dissemination of content that could potentially harm the morale of police personnel, especially women in the force.
Today(6th September), Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, heard Gerald’s plea against this bail condition. The Bench expressed concern over the nature of the content in the interview but questioned the proportionality of the punishment involving the shutdown of a YouTube channel.
“Why did you host shows that are offensive and cast aspersions on the judiciary and women police officers?”
-CJI Chandrachud remarked while addressing the counsel for Gerald.
This statement reflects the court’s concern over content that could defame public institutions and individuals, particularly women officers who hold a crucial role in law enforcement.
Representation for Gerald
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who represented Gerald, acknowledged the problematic nature of the comments aired during the interview. He conceded that the remarks made were in poor taste and did not reflect well on either the channel or those involved.
“The comments were in bad taste,”
-Sankaranarayanan admitted, further explaining that Gerald’s YouTube channel had a substantial following.
“I have 2.6 million subscribers and run a news channel. This show could demoralize women police officers, which should not occur. However, the bail condition imposed…”
– Sankaranarayanan argued, emphasizing that while the content was indeed inappropriate, shutting down an entire channel as a bail condition seemed excessive.
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After considering the arguments, the Supreme Court ruled to stay the Madras High Court’s order mandating the closure of Gerald’s YouTube channel. However, the Bench made it clear that this was not a final decision on the merits of the case but a temporary relief for the YouTuber.
“Issue a notice to stay the bail condition requiring the closure of the YouTube channel. All other bail conditions should remain in effect.”
-the Court ordered.
This temporary reprieve means that while Gerald’s YouTube channel will remain active, he must comply with all other bail conditions as previously outlined by the Madras High Court. The Supreme Court also stated that it would hear Gerald’s plea in conjunction with Shankar’s petitions, which challenge both his preventive detention and the criminal cases against him.
Gerald’s legal issues began when the Coimbatore cyber-crime police charged him for broadcasting a controversial interview with Savukku Shankar. The interview led to multiple complaints across Tamil Nadu against both Shankar and Gerald for derogatory remarks about women police officers.
Previously, on June 24, Justice Thamilsevi of the Madras High Court denied Gerald’s bail application. The prosecution had argued that by interviewing Shankar and airing his remarks, Gerald had given Shankar a platform to defame women police personnel.
