"You are after this man": Supreme Court to TN govt for repeatedly detaining YouTuber Savukku Shankar

The Supreme Court on Friday slammed the Tamil Nadu government for repeatedly detaining YouTuber Savukku Shankar under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Forest Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum-Grabbers and Video Pirates Act of 1982 (TN Goondas Act). [A Shankar @ Savukku Shankar v. State of Tamil Nadu and Ors].A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra expressed its displeasure at the State's actions while hearing Shankar's plea challenging the latest proceedings under the Act."What are you doing? You are after this man. As soon as he is out, you put him behind bars again!" Justice Pardiwala today remarked..The Bench was hearing a plea filed by the YouTuber challenging the Tamil Nadu government's recent decision to detain him again under the Goondas Act, days after the Madras High Court quashed earlier preventive detention orders against him.The top court had earlier granted him interim relief in the matter by staying any further coercive action.It adjourned the hearing today..As per reports, the latest detention order was passed on allegations that drugs were found in Shankar's possession.The earlier detention order (passed in May) had cited, among other grounds, defamatory comments that were allegedly made by Shankar against women in an interview given to another YouTuber Felix Jerald.Shankar remained in detention for over three months, partly because two judges of the Madras High Court disagreed on whether his detention should be quashed, in an order dated May 24.A third High Court judge, meant to be the tie-breaker, termed the May 24 split verdict an "aberration" and referred the case to another Division Bench of the High Court.The delays led Shankar's mother, A Kamala, to approach the Supreme Court seeking her son's release..On July 18, Supreme Court ordered Shankar's interim release until Kamala's plea was finally decided by the High Court.Later, a High Court Bench of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan recused from hearing the matter, citing objectionable comments made by Kamala against the Court in her transfer petition filed before the Supreme Court. On August 9, another High Court Bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam quashed the May detention order against Shankar. Since he was detained citing a new case by the Tamil Nadu Police, the YouTuber approached the Supreme Court again for relief.His mother too has filed a fresh habeas corpus petition, in which notice was issued on August 22.Both the matters will likely be heard further on Tuesday, August 27..The Tamil Nadu government was represented by Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra.Shankar was represented by Advocate Balaji Srinivasan.