On 10th May, Trichy district cyber crime police arrested YouTuber Felix Gerald of Red Pix from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Gerald was arrested for interviewing popular YouTuber Savukku Shankar who was earlier arrested for allegedly speaking against senior police officers and a female police personnel. It was claimed that Shankar spoke in an objectionable manner about the officials.
Gerald was arrested on a complaint by Musiri DSP MA Yasmin. A special police team led by SP RV Varun Kumar was dispatched from Trichy to arrest Gerald. A case was registered against Shankar following the complaint of Musiri DSP, FIR was registered against Shankar for making derogatory remarks against women police personnel during an interview with Gerald. When Gerald was arrested, he was trying to submit a petition to the chairman of the Press Club of India over Shankar’s arrest.
Notably, Gerald approached the Madras High Court and sought anticipatory bail. During the last hearing, Justice Kumaresh Babu observed that Felix Gerald should have been made the first accused in the case as he “prompted Shankar to make the objectionable comments”.
The court also observed that YouTube channels were becoming a menace to society. Justice Babu suggested that action should be taken against interviewers who push interviewers to make derogatory or objectionable comments.
Following his arrest, Gerald was produced in a local magistrate court for a transit warrant. He was transported to Trichy via train. He would reach Trichy on the evening of 12th May or the morning of 13th May.
Savukku Shankar was allegedly beaten in jail
Earlier, it was reported that Shankar was beaten in Coimbatore jail. Savukku Shankar’s counsel claimed that Shankar’s right hand was fractured in an assault on the night of 4th May, after he was remanded in prison in judicial custody, and that no adequate treatment was provided to him. The counsel claimed that on Saturday night, the jail staff, numbering roughly ten people, blindfolded Savukku Shankar and attacked him with plastic pipes wrapped in clothing. He claimed that Shankar was compelled to take painkillers without his consent. Shankar was sent to police remand till 17th May.
He was booked under Sections 294(b), 509 and 353 IPC r/w section 4 of Tamilnadu prohibition of harassment of Woman Act and section 67 of Information Technology Act,2000. Savukku Shankar, a former employee of the vigilance department, was earlier sentenced to 6 months in jail for a contempt of court case by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. In 2008, he was jailed by the DMK government for leaking a conversation between two top officials.
