The Trichy Cyber Crime police have apprehended Sattai Duraimurugan, a well-known YouTuber and the Policy Outreach Secretary of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), in Courtallam. He has been taken into custody for allegedly tarnishing the reputation of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi during the Vikravandi by-election campaign. Additionally, he faces accusations of disparaging the Tamil Nadu government with subpar critiques.
சாட்டை துரைமுருகன் கைது #SaattaiDuraimurugan |#NTK | #youtuber | #arrestedhttps://t.co/y4W3uzOopr pic.twitter.com/rZLGcpM3AA
— Dinamalar (@dinamalarweb) July 11, 2024
It is to be noted, Sattai Duraimurugan, an NTK functionary, has been arrested for the second time in a row. His previous arrest stemmed from accusations of criticizing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. However, the Supreme Court intervened, granting him bail and criticizing the government in the process.
Previously, on 8 April 2024, the Supreme Court reinstated the bail granted to YouTuber Sattai Duraimurugan, who faces allegations related to derogatory comments about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. The court sharply noted, “If we start jailing everyone who makes allegations on YouTube before elections, the number of people incarcerated would be considerable.”
The bench, consisting of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, remarked that expressing dissent and protesting should not be deemed as misuse of liberty.
This decision followed Sattai’s challenge to a Madras High Court ruling that had revoked his bail. The High Court’s decision was based on Sattai allegedly making derogatory statements against the Chief Minister shortly after he had given an undertaking to the court. The Supreme Court overturned the bail revocation, concluding that Sattai’s actions did not constitute misuse of the bail granted to him.
The death of DMK MLA N. Pugazhenthi on 6 April 2024, prompted the need for a by-election. Voting took place at 276 booths, including 44 designated as vulnerable or critical, with a total of 1,355 election workers deployed. To ensure security, 53 micro-observers and over 2,700 police and paramilitary personnel were assigned to oversee the process, with additional staff stationed at the vulnerable booths. Surveillance cameras were also installed to monitor the election. The by-election for the Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district saw a voter turnout of 82.48% on 10 July 2024.