Tamil YouTuber A Shankar, commonly known as ‘Savukku’ Shankar, who was arrested in seven cases, was detained under Goondas Act, on Sunday, May 12. He was booked for several offences, including for possession of ganja, forgery, stalking and harassment of women, in different districts – Theni, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, and Chennai. Chennai Commissioner of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore passed the orders to slap Goondas Act on the YouTuber.
The Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber law offenders, Drug-offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Forest-offenders, Sand-offenders, Sexual-offenders, Slum-grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982, is shortly referred to as The Goondas Act. It is a stringent act that allows authorities to do preventive detention of habitual offenders, including murder accused, immoral traffic offenders, sexual offenders and other such offenders to prevent their dangerous activities that could be detrimental to public order. Within three weeks, the case has to be presented to an Advisory Board. The accused cannot get a bail till the detention order is cancelled by a court.
Shankar was booked in five cases in Coimbatore, Chennai, Salem and Trichy, for making derogatory remarks about police personnel. During a recent interview, he alleged that women police personnel were giving sexual favours to a senior police officer in order to get promotions. “Does a female sub inspector fall in love with an IG because of his looks? Everywhere [a high-ranking male officer] goes, subordinate officers who are women fall in love with him. Is it because of his looks? It's because if they adjust with him, they can get a good posting, that's why,” he had said.
He was also booked in one case in Theni under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for illegal possession of ganja. In yet another case in Chennai, he was booked for stalking, harassment and criminal intimidation, based on a complaint filed by a woman journalist in 2018.
The last case was registered on May 10, based on a complaint filed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) that Shankar allegedly used forged documents concerning the Kilambakkam bus terminus and circulated wrong information.
Shankar was remanded to judicial custody in five of these cases. While three cases are under investigation, charge sheets have been filed in two cases, and remaining two cases are pending trial.