71-Year-Old YouTuber Arrested, Jailed Over 20 Days After Social Media Post in Tamil Nadu

Hindu Voice Team: A 71-year-old retired police officer and YouTuber, R. Varadharajan, has now spent more than 20 days behind bars after his arrest by the cyber-crime unit of the Chennai South Cyber Crime Police on 7 October. He remains in judicial custody following a bail petition heard in the Madras High Court, whose hearing was adjourned to Monday.

Varadharajan is accused of posting allegedly defamatory content targeting Justice N. Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court. The post reportedly questioned the judge’s impartiality and alleged his proximity to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

The matter relates to an earlier incident — the 27 September stampede in Karur during a political rally organised by actor-politician Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The rally drew some 30,000 people into a venue built for only a few thousand, leading to 41 deaths. In the aftermath, Justice Senthilkumar reportedly criticised Vijay and the TVK’s organisational capacity — remarks that sparked Varadharajan’s YouTube commentary and precipitated his arrest.

Police maintain the operation is part of a broader crackdown on “misinformation and hate campaigns” in the wake of the tragedy. Nonetheless, critics and opposition figures describe the detention of a septuagenarian over a social media post as an example of vindictive politics under the ruling DMK government.

Legal observers say the case raises serious concerns about free speech in Tamil Nadu. They argue that detaining a 71-year-old political commentator for more than three weeks, while his bail plea remains adjourned, sends a chilling message to dissenting voices.

As of now, no final decision has been made on Varadharajan’s bail application. His continued incarceration is increasingly viewed as politically charged and legally contested.

(The above piece is written based on a report published by The Commune. You can read the original report HERE )