The Madras High Court on Wednesday called for a report from the Coimbatore District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) after being informed that the latter had deputed three empanelled lawyers and an orthopaedician to check on the health of YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar, alias A. Shankar, following complaints of custodial violence in the Coimbatore Central Prison.
A Division Bench of Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira and R. Kalaimathi wanted the DLSA’s report to be submitted before them on Thursday. The interim order was passed on a habeas corpus petition filed by the remand prisoner’s mother, A. Kamala, alleging that her son had sustained a fracture on the right hand after being beaten up black and blue in the prison.
While Senior Counsel R. John Sathyan, representing the petitioner, insisted that the prisoner be produced before the High Court, at least through videoconference, for the judges to take a look at his physical condition, Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak vehemently opposed the plea and said there was absolutely no harm caused to the remand prisoner.
Mr. Raj Thilak told the court that the remand prisoner himself had filed a petition before a Coimbatore Judicial Magistrate who, in turn, had referred the issue to the DLSA. The DLSA chairperson had deputed three legal aid lawyers and an orthopaedician, who met the prisoner and interacted with him for an hour on Tuesday before submitting their report to the authority.
