The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia in connection with multiple FIRs filed in Mumbai, Guwahati, and Jaipur over alleged obscene remarks made by him during an episode of the online show India’s Got Latent.A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh issued the interim order while seeking a response from the authorities on Allahabadia’s petition challenging the multiple FIRs.
The court also directed that no further FIRs be registered concerning the same YouTube show. However, the relief is conditional upon Allahabadia - popularly known as Beer Biceps = cooperating with the investigation. Additionally, the bench granted him the liberty to seek police protection in case of threats.
The court ordered that Allahabadia and his associates must refrain from airing any shows until further orders. He has been instructed to surrender his passport as part of the conditions of relief.Despite granting interim relief, the apex judiciary Supreme Court harshly criticised Allahabadia’s language, calling it "dirty" and "perverted."
Justice Kant confronted Allahabadia’s counsel, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, questioning, "Are you defending this kind of language?" In response, Chandrachud admitted that he found the remarks “disgusting” but argued that the issue at hand was whether they amounted to a criminal offence. He cited the Apoorva Arora judgment, which held that profanity alone does not constitute obscenity.
However, Justice Kant remained unconvinced, stating, "If this is not obscenity, then what is? Does the Apoorva Arora judgment give a licence to say anything?"The bench also engaged in a discussion over the multiple FIRs lodged against Allahabadia. When Chandrachud argued that multiple FIRs for the same offence were legally untenable, citing the TT Antony case, Justice Kant countered that the nature of the complaints differed, with one FIR specifically concerning alleged derogatory remarks about Arunachal Pradesh.
The court expressed serious disapproval of the YouTuber’s statements, stating, "There is something very dirty in his mind, which has been vomited in this programme… He is insulting his parents. Why should courts favour him?"Chandrachud also informed the bench that Allahabadia had been receiving death threats, prompting Justice Kant to remark, "If you seek cheap publicity by making such remarks, others may seek cheap publicity by making threats."
The court criticised the presence of Allahabadia’s lawyer at the police station, questioning its legality and stating, "Just because you can pay, lawyers will start rendering these services? This insults the legal profession."
The controversy stems from an episode of comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent, featuring Allahabadia alongside fellow YouTubers Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija.
The episode contained explicit conversations and sparked a social media uproar when clips went viral. Raina later issued a public apology and deleted all episodes, while Allahabadia also apologised, acknowledging the inappropriateness of his comments.Following the outrage, on February 10, Guwahati Police registered an FIR against five YouTubers for allegedly “promoting obscenity and engaging in vulgar discussions.” Reports indicate that Mumbai Cyber Cell and Jaipur Police have also lodged cases.
On February 14, Chandrachud mentioned Allahabadia’s petition before the Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, expressing concerns about possible coercive action by Assam Police. However, CJI Khanna did not intervene at that stage.Meanwhile, Ashish Chanchlani has moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail regarding the FIR filed against him over the same controversy. (UNI)
