Savukku Shankar plea dismissed by SC in Chennai office sealing case

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by a YouTuber seeking directions to unseal his office in Chennai and return his seized devices in connection with allegations of assault and extortion by a film producer.

A bench comprising justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to entertain Savukku Shankar's plea challenging an order passed by the Madras High Court and asked him to approach the judicial magistrate.

"Don't think the writ court is the panacea for all ills. Dismissed," the bench told senior advocate Balaji Srinivasan, appearing for Shankar.

The Madras High Court on December 30, 2025 had declined to stay the sealing order and directed the YouTuber to approach the jurisdictional magistrate under Sections 105–107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

Shankar in his plea sought a direction to unseal his office premises situated at No.111, Aranganathan Illam, 2nd Floor, Jai Kasthuri Parthasarathy Nagar, 3rd Street, Adambakkam, Chennai, and further stopping the respondents from deploying the police personnel in the entrance of petitioner's office premises.

The Madras High Court on December 26 last year had granted interim bail on health grounds to Shankar in 17 criminal cases after observing that repeated curtailment of his personal liberty by the Tamil Nadu Police can only be construed as an “abuse of process of law.” Shankar was arrested from his residence on 13 December and booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The prosecution alleged that he had extorted money from a film producer.