Supreme Court Grants Protection from Arrest to Influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, Slams His “Distasteful” Comments
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, widely known as BeerBiceps, protection from arrest following multiple FIRs filed against him for controversial remarks made during a YouTube show. However, the court strongly condemned his statements, describing them as reflecting a “perverted mind.”
Allahbadia’s comments on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent has sparked outrage, leading to several police complaints. A visibly irate bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, reprimanded Allahbadia for his “unacceptable” remarks, stating, “Your words would make daughters, sisters, parents, and society as a whole feel ashamed. If this isn’t obscenity, then what is?”
Despite the criticism, the court considered the submissions of senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahbadia, and agreed to grant him protection from arrest. Chandrachud argued that multiple FIRs had been registered for the same incident and highlighted the death threats Allahbadia had received.
Justice Surya Kant questioned Chandrachud, “Are you defending the language he used?” to which the lawyer replied that even he found the remarks “disgusting.” However, he contended that profanity alone does not necessarily constitute a criminal offense.
The bench further remarked, “If one person tries to gain cheap publicity by making such comments, others might seek attention through threats. We need to consider both sides.”
Court Imposes Restrictions on Allahbadia and Show’s Participants
The Supreme Court ruled that no further FIRs shall be registered against Allahbadia concerning his comments on India’s Got Latent. Additionally, it ordered a halt to any further episodes of the controversial show until further notice.
In a significant directive, the court instructed Allahbadia to surrender his passport at the Thane police station and prohibited him from leaving the country without prior judicial approval. Furthermore, he was ordered to fully cooperate with ongoing investigations related to FIRs filed in Maharashtra and Assam.
Justice Surya Kant also emphasized the importance of respecting societal norms, stating, “Freedom of speech does not grant an individual the right to say anything that violates the values of society. One must be mindful of societal expectations.”
Legal Proceedings and Further Investigations
The court also sought responses from the Central government, as well as the Maharashtra and Assam governments, regarding Allahbadia’s plea to merge and dismiss the multiple FIRs against him.
Meanwhile, an Assam police team traveled to Pune to serve a summons to comedian Samay Raina, who resides in Balewadi, in connection with a complaint filed in Guwahati. The FIR alleges the promotion of obscenity in an online public platform.
Alongside Allahbadia and Raina, other individuals named in the Assam case include content creators Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija. Mumbai police had earlier directed Allahbadia to appear at Khar police station, while he also faces a complaint in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Additionally, Maharashtra’s Cyber Department has registered a case under relevant provisions of the IT Act and has requested the removal of all 18 episodes of the comedy show from online platforms.