The Supreme Court has provided some relief to YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, who was embroiled in a dispute over comments he made about parents and sex during a stand-up comedy show called “India’s Got Latent”. The court has stated that no further police cases can be filed against him regarding this matter. The court also said that Mr. Allahbadia, who claimed to have received death threats to himself and his family, can approach the police in Maharashtra and/or Assam for protection of his life and liberty if he faces any threats. Additionally, the court has assured Mr. Allahbadia that he will not be arrested by either the Maharashtra or Assam police, as long as he cooperates with the investigation. However, the court has directed Mr. Allahbadia to deposit his passport with the police in Maharashtra’s Thane and has warned him not to leave the country without the court’s prior permission.
The Supreme Court justices strongly condemned the inappropriate comments made by the Youtuber, known as the ‘BeerBiceps guy’ on Instagram. Justice Chandrachud expressed personal disgust with the comments, stating that he could not defend them on moral grounds although he acknowledged that the legal implications were a separate issue. However, the other justices, particularly Justice Kant, were even more critical, declaring that if such content was not considered obscenity in the country, then what would be. The hearing then turned into a harsh rebuke of the Youtuber, with the justices questioning why the court should entertain such individuals and expressing concern about the embarrassment he had caused to his parents, as well as drawing parallels to societies that warn against watching certain programs.
Ranveer Allahbadia is facing multiple legal issues, including police cases, a summons from the National Commission of Women, and possible questions from a parliamentary panel. Two other individuals, Samay Raima and Apoorva Makhija, have also reported receiving threats, and they have been named in police cases, along with Ashish Chanchalani, another social media influencer. Allahbadia has confessed to feeling scared by the threats to his life but has vowed to not back down. He has claimed that he is receiving death threats and that his mother’s medical clinic has been “invaded.” After failing to appear before the police, they went to his home in Mumbai, only to find the door locked and Allahbadia missing.
