A Chennai court handed Savukku Shankar a three‑year sentence on Tuesday, ruling that his 2013 remarks about Mahalakshmi, a former Sun TV anchor, met the criteria for defamation and harassment under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
The case began when Mahalakshmi lodged a complaint against Shankar for posting false allegations on his ‘Savukku’ website and for threatening her with fabricated documents. She claimed the online content damaged her reputation and pushed her to seek legal redress.
Shankar’s counsel countered that the accusations were baseless, arguing that the court had misread the evidence. However, the judge, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sivashakthi, found the prosecution’s case credible and marked the harassment claim as proven.
The sentence follows a series of legal challenges that Shankar has faced over the past decade, including earlier charges related to his social‑media commentary. While the court’s decision focuses on the 2013 case, Shankar’s broader influence on Tamil Nadu politics has made the ruling a headline event.
Shankar’s attorneys now have 30 days to file a notice of appeal, a move that could bring the matter before a higher court in the coming weeks. The outcome of that appeal will determine whether the three‑year term is upheld or overturned.