Chennai cops arrest Savukku Shankar in 4 old cases despite SC order

CHENNAI: Even as the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the suspension of jail term awarded to political commentator and vlogger 'Savukku' Shankar by the Madras High court, it is reliably learnt that on Thursday the Chennai police had served intimation to him, who is now lodged in Cuddalore prison, that he had been arrested in 4 cases registered by cyber crime wing in the year 2020 and 2021.

The arrest intimations were served to Shankar on Thursday at Cuddalore prisons around 4.30 pm on Thursday sources said.

Of the four cases, three were registered in the year 2020 and one in 2021.

One case registered in the year 2020 is under Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(1) (b) (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); and the other two cases are registered under Sections 153 (deliberately giving provocation, with intent to cause riot) and 505(1)(b) under IPC. The last case is registered in 2021. The case is slapped on him under Sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(d) and 5(2) of the Official Secrets Act. Section 5 of the Act deals with wrongful communication, etc. of information.

Shankar is undergoing 6 months prison term after the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court held him guilty of criminal contempt of court. Justice GR Swaminathan had initiated suo-moto contempt proceedings against him for saying that

"entire judiciary is riddled with corruption” and implying that the judge ‘met’ someone in a connection with a case against right-wing YouTuber Maridhas.