‘Savukku’ Shankar moves Madras HC to quash case over publicising document on PM visit in 2021

YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar alias A. Shankar has approached the Madras High Court with a plea to quash a criminal case registered against him during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime for having tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme schedule on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on February 11, 2021, despite it being a confidential document.

Justice M. Nirmal Kumar on Friday (March 27, 2026) granted time till April 17, 2026, for the Chennai cybercrime police to file their counter affidavit to the quash petition. Though the petitioner’s counsel insisted upon staying the trial court proceedings till then, the judge said, there was no need for it when the next hearing before the trial court was on April 25, 2026.

In a complaint lodged before the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police on February 13, 2021, S. Ravi, Deputy Secretary (foreigners) to the Tamil Nadu government, also in-charge of protocol at the Public Department, said that he had received a communication from the Prime Minister’s Office on February 10, 2021, informing the State about the Prime Minister’s visit to Chennai on February 14, 2021.

The e-mail received from the PMO clearly stated that it was a confidential document since it involved the safety and security of the Prime Minister. However, the very next day, the YouTuber had posted that document on his X handle and tweeted: “Get ready guys. #GoBackModi.” Hence, the Deputy Secretary had urged the police to book him under the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

The Commissioner forwarded the complaint to the cybercrime police who registered a First Information Report on February 13, 2021. Thereafter, the police completed the investigation and filed a chargesheet before the XI Metropolitan Magistrate court at Saidapet in Chennai on June 3, 2025. The Magistrate took cognisance of the chargesheet and issued a summons for the YouTuber’s appearance.

Urging the High Court to quash the chargesheet, the petitioner claimed that he had not posted any tweet as alleged by the police and that he had been falsely implicated in the case due to “ulterior motives.” He also claimed not to have violated any of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and said, the chargesheet, filed after four years since the registration of the FIR, was barred by limitation.