New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu government to immediately release YouTuber Savukku Shankar, who had been detained under the Goondas Act.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the state government, told the top court that no orders would be required as the advisory board revoked the detention order on Wednesday.
Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, hearing a petition by Shankar’s mother A Kamala challenging detention order of August 12 under Goondas Act — formally known as Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Goonda, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 — took the statement on record and disposed of the petition.
“In view of the aforesaid, the detenue Savukku Shankar shall be released forthwith, if not required in any other case,” the two-member bench said.
Balaji Srinivasan, the counsel for Shankar’s mother, submitted that a fresh detention order was issued last month to prevent his release from jail and that a similar detention order was issued on May 12, which was struck down by Madras High Court on August 9.
Advocate Srinivasan stated that Shankar exposed cases of corruption in the state government, including the cash-for-jobs case involving former minister V Senthil Balaji, who resigned in February this year.
