'Go To HC': Supreme Court Rejects Savukku Shankar's Nephew's Plea Against 3rd Preventive Detention Order Under Goondas Act

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a writ petition filed by YouTuber and journalist Savukku Shankar's nephew seeking quashing of a third detention order passed against Shankar under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the matter and asked the petitioner to approach the High Court. It also said that upon being so approached, the High Court may hear the matter expeditiously.

To recap, Shankar was arrested on 13 December, 2025 in connection with an extortion case registered under Sections 296(b), 353(lxc), 308(5), 61(2) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Following his arrest, his mother Kamala approached the Madras High Court seeking his medical treatment. A habeas corpus plea was also filed to forbear the police authorities from isolating Shankar from other prisoners.

Subsequently, Shankar secured interim bail from the High Court, in view of his health conditions. On this occasion, the Court criticized the State for targeting Shankar, who was exercising his right to dissent. 

When an intra-court appeal was filed, a Division Bench of the High Court refused to cancel Shankar's bail, but imposed additional conditions. The Court asked Shankar not to make any statement, either directly or indirectly, in connection with the case, including comments against the conduct of the officers. Further, he was asked to not interact with or intimidate the co-accused or the witnesses in the case.

The Court also restricted Shankar's movement, adding that any movement should be for the purpose of availing medical facilities or in connection with seeking legal assistance in the case. The order made it clear that any violation of the conditions would be viewed seriously, and strict action would be taken against Shankar.

Aggrieved, Shankar approached the Supreme Court seeking modification of the bail conditions. However, in January this year, a bench of Justices Datta and Sharma refused to interfere, noting that Shankar started making reels and videos after grant of bail on medical grounds.

Shankar was due to surrender on March 25, but on the same day, two FIRs were registered against him at PS Puzhal - one under Section 296 of BNS and another under Sections 296(b), 125, 109(1), 132, 351(3) of BNS. He was arrested in both the cases on April 8.

On April 9, the subject preventive detention order was passed against him, "branding" him as a goonda under Section 2(f) of the Goondas Act. In this backdrop, his nephew approached the Supreme Court seeking a writ of habeas corpus and challenging the detention order.

The petition flagged a growing trend of abuse of preventive detention laws and highlighted how not a single order of preventive detention passed under Goondas Act in 2022 was upheld by the Madras High Court. In connection with Shankar, it was pointed out that two preventive detention orders were passed against him earlier as well, which were quashed/revoked upon judicial intervention.

It was alleged that Shankar was being harassed by the State agencies for his work exposing illegal and corrupt activities of the ruling DMK government in the state. Besides filing of false cases, the petitioner assailed freezing of pension account of Shankar's mother, blocking of his employees' accounts, etc.

The petitioner also claimed that a copy of the FIR, which formed the ground case for the subject detention order, had not been supplied to Shankar. Further, it failed to prima facie show how Shankar's actions had caused any prejudice to the maintenance of public order.

"A mere averment that the Detenu caused 'widespread danger to the public order and public health' is not enough to show application of mind, and infact goes to show the State's malice in detaining the Detenu only to somehow keep him in custody", the plea stated.

Appearance: Advocate Kanishka Singh and AoR K Shiva (for petitioner)

Case Title: D BHARATH Versus THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND ANR., W.P.(Crl.) No. 142/2026