YouTuber Savukku Shankar Gets 3 Years' Jail In 2013 Defamation, Threat Case

YouTuber Savukku Shankar has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Chennai court in a case filed by former Sun TV news anchor and advocate Mahalakshmi.

In her complaint against Shankar in 2013, Mahalakshmi alleged that he had published defamatory remarks about her on his 'Savukku' website.

She subsequently approached the Egmore court, alleging that Shankar and his associates had threatened her and fabricated documents in connection with the dispute.

During the trial, Mahalakshmi's side argued that Shankar had deliberately made defamatory allegations against her and issued threats, warranting legal action.

Shankar's counsel, however, denied the allegations and argued that the complaints and charges against him were completely false.

Read | Tamil Nadu YouTuber Jailed For 6 Months For "Scandalising Judiciary"

After hearing arguments from both sides, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sivashakthi held 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 consequently sentenced Shankar to three years' imprisonment.

Shankar's counsel sought time to challenge the conviction and sentence before a higher court.

The court accepted the request and granted him 30 days to file an appeal.

The case dates back more than a decade to the complaint filed by Mahalakshmi in 2013. The latest conviction is separate from the other criminal cases that Shankar has faced in recent years.

Shankar, who runs the 'Savukku' platform, has been a prominent and often controversial voice in Tamil Nadu's political discourse. His legal troubles have included cases relating to his social media comments and allegations made in his broadcasts and online posts.