CHENNAI: The Chennai police arrested activist and YouTuber Savukku Shankar after a five-hour standoff at his residence on Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road for allegedly threatening the owner of a bar and recreation club and taking Rs 94,000 through UPI payment from him through intermediaries.
The Saidapet Police have booked Shankar under sections 296 (b), 353 (1) (c), 308 (5), 61 (2), 351 (3) of the BNS based on a complaint from the establishment's owner, Harichandran, alleging that Savukku media spread false information about the establishment and demanded money to stop talking about his outlet.
On Saturday morning, a team of police personnel waited outside his locked house for hours, before seeking assistance from the Fire and Rescue Services personnel to break open the door and take him into custody.
When officers instructed him to open the door, Shankar refused, and said he would do so only after his lawyer arrived. Even after the lawyer reached the spot, Shankar continued to remain locked inside and posted videos about the police presence outside his house. The fire service personnel were then summoned, and they broke open the door. The turn of events made for a spectacle for the residents in the apartment complex.
Shankar was later taken to a police station for questioning and was produced before a magistrate. He was remanded in judicial custody till December 26.
The police claimed they had summoned Shankar as part of an inquiry last month and issued a warrant, but he failed to appear before them.