A view of the Madras High Court. File photograph

The Madras High Court on Thursday, May 16, 2024, dismissed as infructuous, an anticipatory bail petition filed by YouTuber G. Felix Gerald in a case booked by the Coimbatore cyber crime police for having interviewed ‘Savukku’ Shankar, who reportedly made derogatory remarks against women police personnel during the interview.

Justice R. Sakthivel dismissed the petition after Additional Public Prosecutor R. Muniyapparaj said the Tiruchi police had arrested the YouTuber in Noida on May 10, in a similar case booked by them, and that the Coimbatore police had made a formal arrest in the latter’s case too, when he was in prison on May 15.

The APP also produced orders passed by the jail superintendent with respect to the formal arrest effected inside the prison. The judge recorded the submission and dismissed the advance bail plea, moved by the petitioner before his arrest during last week’s summer vacation court, as infructuous.

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu had adjourned the advance bail plea by a week on May 9 after Addtional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak sought time to file a counter affidavit. At that time, the judge had also criticised such interviews being taken by some of the YouTube channels just to gain popularity.