YouTuber Maridhas arrested for videos criticizing Chief Minister Vijay

On Monday, a special team of the Chennai City Police arrested pro-BJP YouTuber Maridhas from his residence in Surya Nagar, Madurai, over videos and public remarks criticizing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

Maridhas was taken into custody by a Chennai Cyber Crime team, with assistance from the Madurai City Police, amid heavy police deployment around his Surya Nagar home. He was subsequently brought to Chennai for questioning. While authorities confirmed that a case has been registered by the Cyber Crime wing of the Chennai Police, details of the FIR and the specific legal provisions invoked were not made public on Monday afternoon.

According to police sources, the action followed a series of videos and public remarks that were critical of the functioning of the state government, Chief Minister Vijay, and several ministers. Another police source indicated that the arrest was also linked to remarks allegedly made during an interview aired on a YouTube channel.

A senior police official stated that Maridhas will be questioned and further details regarding the case will emerge as the investigation progresses.

Maridhas is a prominent Tamil YouTuber known for his outspoken support of the BJP and sharp criticism of Dravidian parties. This arrest is the latest incident in a long and contentious relationship between Maridhas and Tamil Nadu law enforcement.

In December 2021, Maridhas was arrested by Madurai police following a tweet posted after the Coonoor helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others. In that post, he questioned if Tamil Nadu was "becoming another Kashmir" and suggested the political climate allowed "separatist" activities to flourish.

The Madurai police had registered a case under provisions including sedition, promoting enmity, and public mischief. However, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court later quashed the FIR. Justice G R Swaminathan held that none of the cited offences were made out.

Even after that FIR was struck down, Maridhas remained in judicial custody briefly for another case investigated by the Chennai Cyber Crime Police. That case involved allegations that a fake email from a senior editor at a news organisation had been forged and displayed on his YouTube channel to claim political bias in the media.