The Madras High Court has granted conditional bail to YouTuber and journalist Savukku Shankar in an attempt to murder case. Justice Victoria Gowri, in allowing the bail petition, emphasized that an individual’s liberty should not be restricted solely based on the seriousness of the allegations. Shankar is required to execute a bond of Rs 25,000 with two sureties of a similar amount as directed by the court.
The court has mandated Shankar to appear daily before the police and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The case against Shankar stemmed from an incident involving a police officer while he was being transferred from Ongole in Andhra Pradesh to Puzhal prison in Chennai after his arrest in a cheating and extortion case.
Allegedly, during a stop for Shankar to relieve himself, a group of men arrived in another vehicle and engaged in a quarrel with a Sub-Inspector of Police, leading to stone-pelting. Prosecution claimed that Shankar also participated in the stone-pelting, causing panic among the public.
Shankar, seeking bail, refuted the allegations, stating that the incident did not occur. He argued that the case was fabricated to detain him under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. Despite opposition from the prosecution citing his criminal record, the High Court noted that a preventive detention order does not preclude considering a bail plea in a specific criminal case.
