Madras HC seeks health report of 'Savukku' Shankar after YouTuber's mother alleges prison torture
The counsel also requested the bench to connect Shankar through video conferencing from the prison to prove the allegation, however, the bench denied the request.
(L to R)Savukku Shankar, Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has called for the report of the Coimbatore district legal services authority regarding the health condition of arrested YouTuber and political commentator 'Savukku' Shankar, in response to a habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed.
A vacation bench of Justices AD Jagadish Chandira and R Kalaimathi heard the HCP moved by A Kamala, mother of the arrested YouTuber, who alleged that he has been physically attacked and tortured in Coimbatore Central Prison.
Senior counsel R John Sathyan submitted that Shankar's left hand elbow has fractured and is swollen due to the physical attack by prison authorities. The counsel also requested the bench to connect Shankar through video conferencing from the prison to prove the allegation, however, the bench denied the request.
The counsel also submitted that the accident, met by Shankar after his arrest on May 4, was dubious.
Objecting to the submission, the additional public prosecutor (APP) E Raj Tilak, submitted that all the allegation of the petitioner was baseless. He also denied the torture allegation.
The APP said that Shankar met with an accident when he was en route to Coimbatore after his arrest. He was going to be produced before the judicial magistrate. In the accident, he reportedly sustained injures on his upper lip, left elbow, right feet, and right knee. This was also noticed by the doctors of a private hospital where he was examined immediately after the accident, the APP told the court.
Shankar was transferred to the Coimbatore government hospital for further treatment, the APP said. He submitted Shankar's medical record, which was noted by the prison doctor before his admission into the prison.
Shankar was also produced before the Principal Special Court for Essential Commodities (EC) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in Madurai, on Wednesday, said the APP. Shankar was remanded to judicial custody till May 22 in connection with a ganja case registered by the Theni police.
Meanwhile, senior counsel John Sathyan submitted that Shankar complained about the physical torture by the prison authorities to his lawyer when he met him on May 6.
It was also submitted that the prison superintendent Senthil Kumar felt animosity towards Shankar as the latter had filed a case against him, alleging him of physically torturing prisoners when he was the superintendent of Cuddalore prison (where Shankar was previously imprisoned).
No injuries were found when Shankar was examined before being admitted into the Coimbatore prison, the counsel contended.
It was also submitted that a team of lawyers along with an orthopedician had interacted with Shankar regarding the torture allegation and submitted a report regarding it before the Coimbatore district legal services authority, as per the order of fourth judicial magistrate, Coimbatore.
After the submissions, the bench directed the Coimbatore district legal services authority to submit the report regarding Shankar's health and posted the matter to May 9, for further submission.