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‘Unwarranted’: SC sets aside Madras HC condition asking YouTuber Felix Gerald to shut his channel

YouTuber Felix Gerald was arrested for hosting an allegedly objectionable interview of YouTuber Savukku Shankar on his channel. The Madras High Court had granted bail to Gerald on July 31.

YouTuber Felix Gerald. (Photo: Facebook: @felix.gerald.7)

The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the condition imposed by the Madras High Court asking YouTuber Felix Gerald to shut down his channel as a pre-condition for bail.

On September 6, 2024, a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had stayed the condition set by the high court on Gerald asking him to take down his YouTube channel ‘RedPix 24×7’.

On Friday, the Supreme Court bench confirmed its September 6 order and said the “imposition of such a condition was unwarranted and extraneous for a decision on the application for bail”.

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“The petitioner has already been released on bail in connection with FIR…for offences punishable under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002 and Information Technology Act, 2000. However, while granting him bail, the HC directed that the petitioner shall close down his YouTube channel. We are of the view that imposition of such a condition was unwarranted and extraneous for a decision on the application for bail,” the bench said.

“We are of the view that the petitioner be released on bail independent of the condition so imposed by the high court. We accordingly set aside the condition with the high court to the effect that the respondent shall close his YouTube channel. The September 6, 2024 order passed by this court shall stand confirmed with the above clarification”, the bench ordered.

Gerald was arrested for hosting an allegedly “objectionable” interview of YouTuber Savukku Shankar on his channel where Shankar made some comments against Madras High Court judges and women police personnel. Granting Gerald bail on July 31, the high court, however, asked him to close his channel.

Ananthakrishnan G

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

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