Chennai: YouTubers cannot violate someone else's privacy in the name of exercising their right to free speech, according to the Madras High Court.
The statement was made by Judge N Sathish Kumar recently when he ruled that Surendar, also known as Naathikan, must pay `50 lakh in damages to Seva Bharathi. The organisation had sued the YouTuber for defamation after he implied that the organisation was responsible for Jayaraj and Bennicks' deaths while in detention in the Thoothukudi district.
In addition, the judge permanently barred Surendar from speaking negatively about Seva Bharathi, the New Indian Express reported.
He continued by saying that when such unfounded accusations are made against innocent people, the court cannot turn a blind eye.
Declaring that words circulated are a tool for blackmail, the judge pointed out that this kind of behaviour cannot be supported and that if it is not stopped, all blackmailers will abuse social media.