The Madras High Court has directed a YouTuber to close down his channel as a pre-condition to grant bail in a criminal case booked for having interviewed another YouTuber who reportedly made derogatory remarks against women police personnel.
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Justice T.V. Thamilselvi also directed the bail petitioner G. Felix Jerald to file an affidavit undertaking that he would not indulge in “similar type of activities” in future. She further passed a gag order restraining him from giving interviews about the criminal case until the completion of trial.
Government Advocate V. Meganathan said the petitioner was arrested for having interviewed ‘Savukku’ Shankar alias A. Shankar who had alleged that women police personnel compromise on their modesty due to pressure from higher officials at their workplace and to gain personal benefits and postings.
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The law officer said this was not the first time that the bail petitioner had recorded a derogatory interview and let it circulate on the social media through his YouTube channel titled RedPix 24X7. He said a similar case was registered against the petitioner in 2022 for having interviewed a woman advocate.
In that interview, the lawyer had made highly derogatory and defamatory remarks against politicians, sitting judges, retired judges and advocates. While obtaining anticipatory bail in that case, the petitioner had given an undertaking that he would not indulge in such controversial activities in future.
In violation of such undertaking, he had gone about circulating yet another controversial interview of ‘Savukku’ Shankar, the law officer complained. However, since Shankar had already been granted bail in the same case and the Coimbatore cyber crime police had also completed investigation, the judge decided to grant him bail.
She, however, directed the petitioner to close down the YouTube channel and appear before the investigating officer every Tuesday until further orders.