YouTuber “Savukku” Shankar, was arrested by the Greater Chennai Police in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, April 8, after he allegedly failed to comply with a Madras High Court order requiring him to surrender at prison following the expiry of his interim bail.
According to media reports, Shankar was traced to a lodge in Andhra Pradesh and arrested around 3 pm by a special team. He was then brought to Chennai and produced before a court for remand. His associate, identified as Malathi, was also detained along with him.
Shankar had earlier been arrested on December 13, 2025, in connection with extortion cases registered at Saidapet and Adambakkam police stations. The cases were based on complaints alleging that he had demanded money to stop publishing defamatory content about certain individuals and establishments through his platform, Savukku Media. In one instance, a film producer alleged that Rs 94,000 had been extorted via a GPay transfer to one of Shankar’s associates.
Following his arrest, Shankar’s mother, A Kamala, approached the High Court with a habeas corpus petition and sought specialised medical treatment for her son, who is a cardiac patient. On December 26, a division bench of the High Court granted him interim bail on medical grounds, subject to conditions, for a period of 12 weeks.
As per the bail conditions, Shankar was required to surrender before authorities at Puzhal Central Prison-II upon the expiry of the bail period on March 25. However, he allegedly failed to appear, prompting prison authorities to file a separate complaint. A case (Crime No. 258/26) was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for non-compliance.
Meanwhile, the police had also approached the High Court seeking cancellation of his bail, arguing that he had violated its conditions. On March 24, the court granted liberty to the Greater Chennai Police to arrest Shankar if his custody was required for investigation in the extortion cases.