-> T.S.VENKATESAN
Madurai bench of Madras Higher court has initiated suo-motu proceeding against self –styled journalist-cum –whistle blower-political commentator ‘Savukku’ Sankar for his tweet disparaging Justice G.R. Swaminathan.
Shankar, who runs a blog named ‘Savukku’ also features in several Tamil YouTube channels identifying himself as a ‘senior journalist’. He is known for his abusive behaviour on social media targeting politicians, journalists, and judiciary and government officials. He can be seen more in Red Fix you tube channel and Aadhan .The former is being run by journalist Felix Gerald. It is widely rumoured that he and Savukku Shankar are part of MP of the DMK first family.
The self-styled ‘senior journalist and whistleblower’, had commented on Justice G.R. Swaminathan and his judgments in a number of interviews including in his own YouTube channel.
In a tweet posted on 18 July 2022, Shankar implied in his tweet that Justice GR Swaminathan had ‘met someone,’ at the Azhagar temple in Madurai in connection with the case against prominent DMK-critic Tamil YouTuberMaridhas.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan had quashed the FIRs filed against Maridhas by the DMK government for a tweet that came close on the demise of Chief of Defence Staff BipinRawat in a helicopter crash. He noted in his judgment that YouTubers also have the same rights accorded to journalists and also have the freedom of speech and expression.
The court directed the Registry of the Madurai Bench to a suomotu case of contempt against Savukku Shankar, a ‘you tuber/blogger and a ‘commentator on current affairs’ following a tweet he posted recently about the judge.The judge said he had quashed proceedings against another you tuber Maridhas, and shankar had condemned the decision in the most vituperative words.
“He asks me, ‘Who I met at 06.00 am at AzhagarKoil when I was hearing the case pertaining to Maridhas?’ By this innuendo, Shankar is suggesting that the outcome of the Maridhas case was influenced by the person I am alleged to have met. I genuinely feel he is entitled to pass comments on my judgements but through the offending tweet, Shankar has questioned the my integrity. Imputing partiality, bias or improper motives to a judge is scandalisation of the court and would be criminal contempt. Since I am prima facie satisfied that Savukku Shankar had exceeded his limits, I direct the Registry of the Madurai Bench to register a suomotu case of contempt against Savukku Shankar,” the judge said in his order.
“A person who is getting paid by the State without doing any work has the audacity to mock at a Judge who feels he must justify every paise that he gets from the exchequer.The State government is obliged to make a statement regarding the status of the disciplinary action initiated against Savukku Shankar (sic),” Justice Swaminathan noted in his order about Shankar, a suspended employed of the Tamil Nadu government employee – Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC),has been getting subsistence allowance. He has also ordered that a statutory showcause notice be served on him.
Though his original handle has been blocked by Twitter based on a legal demand, he continues to tweet under a different handle.About Shankar resurfacing on social media through an alternative account, Justice Swaminathan said “In mythology, whenever the head of an asura (demon) is slayed, another one will pop up. Savukku Shankar appears to have taken inspiration from such mythological characters.”.
‘Savukku’ Shankar has been accused of harassment, stalking and defamation by a woman journalist in named SandhyaRavishankar.
The judge also passed observations on other cases being registered against Shankar including that of sexual harassment. He also asked social media intermediaries like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to file an affidavit setting out the details of complaints received by them against Shankar and the action taken by them.
Savukku Shankar is a known serial abuser and has spewed venom against individuals on different occasions. He had once called for a genocide against Tamil Brahmin community. He had called President of India Ram NathKovind, a ‘slave dog’. He has made several unwarranted and crass comments on Prime Minister NarendraModi. He had called Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman as ‘OorgaiMaami’, a casteist and a sexist reference to her Brahmin and woman identity. He even did not spare Zoho’s CEO Sridhar Vembu with consistent harassment through casteist remarks. In 2014, his website ‘Savukku Online’ was banned by the High Court for publishing defamatory articles against a private channel newsreader ( a lawyer by profession).