CHENNAI: The Madras High Court allowed the application moved by the State seeking to file an appeal against the sessions court’s verdict acquitting Savukku Shankar, the popular YouTuber and former clerk in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), from the digital data stealing case.

Justice M Nirmal Kumar granted permission to the Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) to move an appeal against Shankar’s acquittal from the case, alleging the stealing of digital data from the DVAC office.

In 2008, a case was registered against Shankar, who was working in the DVAC, alleging that he stole digital data from the department. It was also alleged that Shankar transferred some documents from the department’s computer to his pen drive and also released the conversation between the then DVAC director SK Upadhyay and then chief secretary L K Tripathy.

However, in 2017, an additional sessions court in Chennai acquitted Shankar from the case as the prosecution had not proved the charges against the accused. Later in the year, CBCID filed an appeal petition before MHC challenging Shankar’s appeal. The pending appeal was dusted off nearly after six years, against the acquittal for hearing.