The bail petition of retired police officer and YouTuber R. Varadharajan, aged 71, has been adjourned to Monday by the Madras High Court, extending his incarceration beyond 20 days. He was arrested by the Chennai South Cyber Crime Police on 7 October 2025, for allegedly posting defamatory content against Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from sections of the opposition and political observers, who have described it as an example of vindictive politics under the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. Varadharajan, a former police officer and founder of the political outfit Nethaji Makkal Katchi, regularly uploads political commentary on his YouTube channel, Nethaji TV.
According to police sources, the action was taken in response to a video where Varadharajan questioned the neutrality of Justice Senthilkumar, alleging proximity to the DMK and criticizing the judge’s remarks on actor-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The controversy stems from the Karur stampede of September 27, which claimed 41 lives during Vijay’s first major political rally in Velusamypuram. The venue, designed for a few thousand people, saw an estimated 30,000 attendees, leading to a deadly crush.
During one of the hearings, the judge made personal remarks about Vijay’s leadership and the TVK’s organizational capacity — observations that sparked widespread debate on social media.
In the ensuing online discourse, several users, including Varadharajan, reacted critically to the judge’s statements. Police alleged that Varadharajan’s post crossed into defamatory and inflammatory territory, prompting his arrest under provisions related to cybercrime and public order.
The Tamil Nadu Police have maintained that the arrest is part of a broader effort to curb misinformation and hate campaigns following the Karur tragedy. Other online commentators, including YouTubers Felix Gerald and Maridhas, were also subjected to police action. While Gerald’s remand was rejected by the court and Maridhas was released after questioning, Varadharajan remains in judicial custody.
His bail petition, heard earlier this week, was adjourned after the prosecution sought additional time to obtain instructions, drawing criticism from activists who called the move a deliberate delay tactic.
Legal commentators have raised concerns about the chilling effect on free speech, noting that Varadharajan’s prolonged detention over a social media post underscores a tightening environment for dissent under the Dravidian Model government.
Thiru Varadharajan avl’s bail petition has been adjourned to Monday in the Honbl Madras HC . As usual the prosecution wanted time to get instructions . This is a clear case of vindictive politics by the ruling government keeping a septuagenarian locked for more than 20 days for… pic.twitter.com/bJVKDjvmr0
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) October 25, 2025
Whoever gave the idea to Tn govt to arrest a 71 year old man police Varadharajan and keep him detained by foisting one case after another was not doing favor to the dmk. This is evident from the avalanche of concerned voices asking me for his case status . Stalin is doomed…
— kishore k swamy 🇮🇳 (@sansbarrier) October 25, 2025
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