Chennai Court Hands Savukku Shankar Three-Year Sentence in 2013 Harassment Case
YouTuber Savukku Shankar sentenced to three years in prison by a Chennai court in a 2013 case filed by former Sun TV anchor Mahalakshmi.
A Chennai court has sentenced YouTuber Savukku Shankar to three years in prison in a case dating back to 2013, when former Sun TV news anchor and advocate Mahalakshmi filed a complaint against him.
Mahalakshmi alleged that Shankar had published defamatory remarks about her on his 'Savukku' website. She later approached the Egmore court, accusing him and his associates of threatening her and fabricating documents linked to the dispute.
During the trial, her side contended that Shankar had deliberately made defamatory allegations against her and issued threats, which warranted legal action. Shankar's counsel rejected the accusations, maintaining that the complaints and charges were entirely false.
After hearing both sides, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sivashakthi ruled on Tuesday that the charges against Shankar under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act had been proved. The court then imposed the three-year sentence.
Shankar's counsel requested time to challenge the conviction and sentence before a higher court. The court granted 30 days to file an appeal.
The conviction stems from a complaint filed more than a decade ago and is separate from other criminal cases Shankar has faced in recent years. He runs the 'Savukku' platform and has been a prominent, often controversial voice in Tamil Nadu's political discourse, with past legal troubles tied to his social media comments and allegations made in his broadcasts and online posts.