Now Reading: YouTuber Savukku Shankar gets 3 years for defaming newsreader
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YouTuber Savukku Shankar gets 3 years for defaming newsreader
The Story in Brief
A Chennai court on Tuesday, 29 September, sentenced YouTuber Savukku Shankar to three years in prison for defamatory remarks against a former Sun TV newsreader. The Egmore Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court convicted Shankar under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000, The News Minute reports. The court has granted Shankar 30 days to file an appeal.
The complainant, Mahalakshmi, a former news anchor and advocate, first lodged a complaint in 2013, alleging Shankar published defamatory remarks about her on his website. The Hindu reports that she later alleged Shankar and his associates threatened her and fabricated documents. Shankar’s counsel denied the allegations. Shankar is a former government employee who runs the YouTube channel ‘Savukku Media’.
Update, 2 October 2026: The Hindu reports that Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sivashakthi convicted Shankar under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The News Minute adds the fine of Rs 20,000 and names the complainant as Mahalakshmi, a former news anchor and advocate. Mathrubhumi confirms the conviction and sentence but does not name the complainant.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three outlets report the same facts: the conviction, the three-year sentence, the 30-day appeal window, and the name of the complainant Mahalakshmi. The News Minute alone mentions the fine of Rs 20,000 and adds background on the previous DMK government detaining Shankar under the Goondas Act, which the TVK government later revoked. Mathrubhumi and The Hindu omit that context. The uniform core of the coverage is the court’s verdict and the pending decision on whether Shankar will appeal within 30 days.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): mathrubhumi.com (neutral report), thenewsminute.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
