In response to a habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by the mother of YouTuber and political commentator ‘Savukku’ Shankar, the Madras High Court has called for a health report from the Coimbatore district legal services authority concerning Shankar’s condition.A vacation bench comprising Justices AD Jagadish Chandira and R Kalaimathi heard the HCP filed by A Kamala, Shankar’s mother, who alleged that her son had been subjected to physical assault and torture while in custody at the Coimbatore Central Prison.
Senior counsel R John Sathyan, representing Kamala, informed the bench that Shankar had suffered a fractured left elbow and swelling as a result of physical violence inflicted by prison authorities. Sathyan also requested the court to arrange for Shankar to appear via video conferencing from the prison to substantiate the allegations. However, the bench declined this request.
Furthermore, Sathyan contended that the circumstances surrounding Shankar’s injury, sustained after his arrest on May 4, were suspicious.
In response, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) E Raj Tilak refuted the allegations, describing them as baseless. Tilak denied any instances of torture and stated that Shankar had been involved in an accident while being transported to Coimbatore for his court appearance. The accident reportedly resulted in injuries to Shankar’s upper lip, left elbow, right foot, and right knee. According to Tilak, medical professionals at a private hospital confirmed these injuries immediately after the accident.