Tamil Nadu YouTuber Maridhas was detained by a special team of the Chennai City Police on Monday for allegedly posting a series of videos critical of the TVK government, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and several state ministers.
According to PTI, the Cyber Crime department of Chennai Police registered a case on its own following Maridhas's sustained online commentary targeting the functioning of the state government. A special team from the Cyber Crime wing travelled to Madurai, where the YouTuber was taken into custody from his residence in Surya Nagar with assistance from the Madurai City Police. He was subsequently being brought to Chennai for further interrogation.
A senior police official told PTI, "The YouTuber has been detained for questioning regarding a case registered by the Cyber Crime wing. Complete details regarding the specific sections under which he has been booked will be made available following further investigation."
Who Is Maridhas?
Maridhas is a Madurai-based YouTuber with a significant social media following, known for his outspoken political commentary.
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He has frequently courted controversy in the past and has faced multiple police cases over his content, according to PTI. His channel has built a considerable audience largely on the strength of commentary targeting political figures and government functioning in Tamil Nadu.
His detention comes after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the party founded by actor-turned-politician Vijay, came to power in Tamil Nadu.
The specific sections under which Maridhas has been booked were not disclosed by police at the time of publication, with officials citing an ongoing investigation.
The Political Reactions
The arrest drew immediate political reaction, with BJP Tamil Nadu leader Narayanan Thirupathy calling for Maridhas's release and squarely targeting the Vijay-led government. "The arrest of YouTuber Maridhas today by the current TVK government, which is undoubtedly the DMK's 2.0 regime, is highly condemnable." He said.
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The arrest of You tuber @MaridhasAnswers today by the current TVK government, which is undoubtedly the DMK's 2.0 regime, is highly condemnable. A government led by Joseph Vijay that murders democracy and crushes freedom of expression deserves severe condemnation for carrying out…
— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) June 8, 2026
"A government led by Joseph Vijay that murders democracy and crushes freedom of expression deserves severe condemnation for carrying out such anti-democratic actions," Thirupathy wrote on X.
He also warned the ruling party against overreach, saying, "If the rulers think that they can run amok just because they are in power, then the people of Tamil Nadu will throw away them as how they threw away the Arivalayam government for its arrogance" — a reference to the DMK, whose party headquarters is called Arivalayam.
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