‘Savukku’ Shankar threatening witnesses, cancel his interim bail: T.N. police urge Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Thursday (January 8, 2026) granted time for YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar alias A. Shankar’s mother A. Kamala to file a counter affidavit to a plea by the Chennai city police to cancel the interim bail granted to him in 17 criminal cases on health grounds.

A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and M. Jothiraman ordered that the counter affidavit be filed by January 12, but the hearing on the bail cancellation plea would take place only after the Pongal vacation for the High Court ends on January 18.

The orders were passed after Additional Public Prosecutor R. Muniyapparaj complained to the court that though the interim bail for three months was granted considering the YouTuber’s medical condition, the latter had been continously posting videos since his release.

“Even today he has posted a video regarding the filing of this bail cancellation petition by the police,” the APP told the court and said, the High Court Registry was refusing to accept a pen drive submitted by the police in order to prove the number of videos posted after the grant of interim bail.

Justice Velmurugan asked the APP to submit the pen drive to the court during the hearing of the bail cancellation petition after the Pongal holidays and said, all of those things would be taken into consideration before taking a final call on the plea to cancel the interim bail.

In his affidavit, the Inspector of Saidapet Police Station K. Settu told the court that the YouTuber was arrested on December 13 in an extortion case and hence, his mother had filed a habeas corpus petition and a writ petition on December 26, stating that he was a cardiac patient and a diabetic.

The petitioner sought temporary bail for her son on health grounds and therefore, the Christmas vacation Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and P. Dhanabal granted the interim relief by imposing various conditions and directed him to surrender before the Puzhal prison Superintendent on March 25, 2026.

Claiming that the YouTuber had consulted a cardiologist only once since his release on interim bail but posted about eight videos (each running for about 60 minutes) on his channel in span of seven days, the Inspector accused the petitioner’s son of having misused his liberty.

The police officer also claimed that the claims regarding his medical condition were only used as a ruse to escape from the clutches of law and alleged that he had violated the bail conditions by abusing and blackmailing the complainant and witnesses in the extortion case.

The court was told that ‘Savukku’ Shankar had also abused investigating officers in his videos and made a false accusation that one of the police officers had attempted to poison him. The Inspector also claimed that he was not cooperating with the investigation of the extortion case.