SC stays YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s arrest but bars him from doing any shows

YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia got major relief on Feb 18 after the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from arrests and said that no more police cases could be filed against him with respect to the same show.

Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, moved the Supreme Court on Feb 14 to seek relief from several FIRs filed against him in different states.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh convened to hear Ranveer Allahbadia's plea seeking anticipatory bail against possible arrest by Guwahati Police, which last week sent a team to his apartment in Mumbai to question him.

The court, however, asked him to surrender his passport to the police in Maharashtra's Thane and warned him against attempting to leave the country without prior permission from the court.

The famous podcaster was embroiled in a controversy for making objectionable comments during the YouTube reality show India's Got Latent, hosted by comedian Samay Raina.

The case involves Allahbadia, Raina, and other participants, including Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija.

The court has ordered Allahabadia and his associates to not do any other show for the time being.
As Allahbadia claimed death threats to his family and himself, the court said he could approach Assam and/or Maharashtra police for protection.

The courts asked him to cooperate with the investigation.

Allahbadia's lawyer, Abhinav Chandrachud, the son of the previous Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, said that though he is "personally disgusted" by the comment, pointed out whether the “comment can be considered a criminal offense is another question.”

However, the court seemed to disagree, with Justice Kant saying, "Are you defending the kind of language?" Justice Kant asked Abhinav Chandrachud.

"If this is not obscenity in this country, then what is!?" Justice Kant said.

The court berated Allahbadia, saying “There is something very dirty in his mind, which has been vomited by him in the program...He is insulting parents also. Why should the Courts favour him?”

"What embarrassment he has caused to his parents? We know from where he has copied the question. There are certain societies where they warn who are not supposed to watch such programs... (referring to age-restrictions for TV programs) they maintain precautions," Justice Kant said while referring to a similar comment made previously on another show.

"... but just because somebody thinks 'I am popular, I can speak anything and take society for granted' ... you tell us, who in the world would like such words?" Justice Kant stated.

"The words you have chosen... parents will be ashamed, and sisters will be ashamed. The entire society will feel ashamed. The perversion you and your henchmen have exhibited," it added.

Apart from multiple police cases, Allahbadia also faces a summon from the National Commission of Women (on March 6, after skipping one for Feb 17, citing the death threats and a Rs 5 lakh bounty on his head) and, possibly, questions from a parliamentary panel too.

Allahabadia issued a public apology twice, where he confessed that he was feeling scared but would not back down.

"I am watching death threats pour in from people saying they want to kill me... hurt my family," he said. Allahbadia also claimed an 'invasion' of his mother's medical clinic.

"My comment wasn't just inappropriate... it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry," he said in a video message. He also acknowledged he had misused his platform. "I am not going to give any context or justification or reasoning behind whatever happened. I am just here for an apology. I had a lapse in judgement. It wasn't cool on my part," he said in his apology.

On Feb 15, he apologized again for his remarks, saying, "My remark about parents was insensitive and disrespectful and I am genuinely sorry".