The Madras High Court, on Wednesday, January 21, reprimanded a lawyer for making allegations of bias against the judiciary during the hearing of a petition seeking cancellation of interim bail granted to YouTuber-journalist Savukku Shankar in an extortion case.
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A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan took exception to the statement made by Shankar’s counsel, which suggested bias on the part of Justice P Velmurugan. The remark was made in connection with a petition filed by the Greater Chennai City Police (GCP) seeking cancellation of the interim bail granted to Shankar.
Shankar had been arrested in December 2025 following a complaint by film producer Purushothaman, who alleged that Shankar and his team had extorted money from him and assaulted him. The alleged incident reportedly took place in June 2025 and was linked to a YouTube video posted by Shankar containing allegedly derogatory remarks against the producer.
Shankar was subsequently granted bail on medical grounds, with the court noting that he required treatment for certain health conditions. However, seeking cancellation of bail, the police contended that Shankar was not suffering from any serious medical issues. The GCP also alleged that he had threatened the victims in the case.
During the proceedings, Shankar’s counsel alleged that the judge had exhibited bias by referring to Shankar as a “blackmailer”. The counsel later moved a petition expressing apprehension of bias against the bench comprising Justices P Velmurugan and M Jothiraman.
It was reported that when this was brought to the notice of the court, the bench observed that Shankar could not “blackmail the bench as well.”
When the matter was mentioned before the bench headed by the Chief Justice, the court strongly objected to the allegations, stating that mudslinging against the judiciary would not be tolerated.
“We will not permit this practice at all. Do not do it before this court. We will not allow court proceedings to be misused and abused in this manner,” the court said, according to a LiveLaw report.