Tamil YouTuber Savukku Shankar alleges cop stole data from seized devices

YouTuber Savukku Shankar, who was previously arrested under multiple charges and slapped with the Goondas Act twice, filed a petition accusing a senior police official of data theft.
The petition, sent to the State Home Secretary and State Director General of Police, alleged that confidential information was stolen from his seized devices while he was in police custody.
In his petition, Shankar stated that during his arrest, the Coimbatore Police seized an iPad and an iPhone 12 Pro, while the Theni Police later confiscated an iPhone 15 Pro and a MacBook. The devices were handed over to the court under Form 95. However, Shankar alleges that when he was granted police custody on May 20, he was taken to the Palanichettipatti Police Station and later to a government guest house, where Trichy Superintendent of Police Varun Kumar IPS, along with Constable Abu, arrived.
“Varun Kumar brought two iPhones which were supposed to be sealed in the Madurai NDPS Special Court and Coimbatore JM IV Court. He then proceeded to break the seal on the two iPhones and took them out and threatened me that I would be killed in an encounter at the forest bungalow if I refused to unlock my phones. While uttering these words, he pointed his gun at me. Under duress and a grave fear of my life, with his gun pointed at me, I unlocked both devices,” Shankar stated in his petition.
He further claimed that Varun Kumar coerced him into providing his email, iCloud, and YouTube account passwords. “I am unable to access my email accounts, iCloud accounts, etc. of which only Varun Kumar alone had access,” Shankar stated.
Shankar also alleged that from the first week of October, personal details, including confidential information from his devices, have been leaked on social media. “From the first week of October, a lot of personal details that were available on my phone, including details of confidential sources, are finding their way to social media,” he added.
Shankar urged authorities to investigate how the electronic gadgets, which were seized under a cover of mahazar and meant to be in the court’s custody, came into the possession of Varun Kumar and his team. He also requested action regarding the theft and leakage of his personal data.