Madras High Court Refuses To Cancel Interim Bail Of YouTuber Savukku Shankar, But Imposes Extra Conditions

The Madras High Court, on Friday, refused to cancel the interim bail granted to YouTuber Journalist Savukku Shankar in an extortion case. The court, however, imposed additional conditions on his bail. The bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice M Jothiraman has asked Shankar not to make any statement, either directly or indirectly, in connection with the case, including comments against the conduct of the officers. The court has also asked Shankar not to interact with or intimidate the co-accused or the witnesses in the case. The court has 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 court made it clear that any violation of the conditions shall be viewed seriously, and strict action would be taken against Shankar.The court has also directed the Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to constitute a Medical Board consisting of experts to analyse and assess Shankar's medical condition. Shankar has been asked to appear before the board on 2nd February, which will examine him and submit a report, in a sealed cover, to the court on 3rd February 2026. The bench passed the directions in an application filed by the Tamil Nadu police seeking to cancel the interim bail. The court had reserved order on Tuesday (20th January) after hearing the parties. While reserving orders, the court had also criticised the derogatory language that Shankar had been using against the police force in his videos and had advised against usage of such language.Shankar was arrested on 13th December in connection with an offence under Sections 296(b), 353(lxc), 308(5), 61(2) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. It was alleged that Shankar had extorted money from a film producer. Following his arrest, Shankar's mother Kamala had approached the High Court seeking his medical treatment. A habeas corpus plea was also filed to forbear the police authorities from isolating Shankar from other prisoners. On December 26, 2025, a vacation bench of the Madras High Court granted interim bail to Shankar for a period of 3 months. The court had noted that Shankar had serious health issues and needed treatment. The court had also noted that the authorities had been filing cases against Shankar, curtailing his personal liberty. In January, the Inspector of Police, Saidapet Police Station approached the court seeking to cancel the interim bail. It was argued that Shankar had been misusing the liberty granted to him by court, threatening witnesses, and interfering with the investigation. It was also argued that though interim bail was granted on medical grounds, Shankar had not taken any medical treatment except visiting the doctor once after his release. During the course of the hearing, the counsel representing Shankar's mother also moved an application alleging bias. Though a mention of the same was made before the bench haring the plea, the bench made it clear that it would not stall the hearing. The bench also remarked that it could not function as per the bias of individuals and asked the parties to approach the Chief Justice if they wanted a change in the bench. Following this, a mention was made before the bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan. The bench, however, strongly criticized the approach of the counsel and said that it would not entertain such practice of mudslinging the judges. Counsel for Petitioner: Mr.R.Muniapparaj Additional Public Prosecutor Assisted by Mr.M.Sylvester John AdvocateCounsel for Respondent: Mr.G.PurushothammanCase Title: The State of Tamil Nadu v. A KamalaCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 41 Case No: WPMP Crl 14 of 2026 Click Here To Read/Download the Judgment

Madras High Court Refuses To Cancel Interim Bail Of YouTuber Savukku Shankar, But Imposes Extra Conditions

Upasana Sajeev

Tags