The Supreme Court on Monday ordered YouTuber and Podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia to return their passport to Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau, allowing them to travel abroad. Justice Suryakant and Justice N. A bench of Kotishwar Singh also provided permission to Allahabadia to make necessary applications to get a passport.
The order came when the court was told that the investigation of the FIR lodged against him in Assam and Maharashtra had been completed. These FIRs were recorded in connection with the controversial statements made in an episode of the show ‘India’s Got Latant’.
Ranveer Allahabadia had filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding to connect the FIR lodged against him simultaneously in the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for him, requested the FIR registered in Assam and Maharashtra to club. However, the bench clarified that Guwahati’s FIR has some special allegations, which are not included in Mumbai’s FIR.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had allowed Allahabadia to resume ‘The Ranveer Show’, provided that he followed the standards of decency and morality. The court had given permission in view of this show that the show has livelihood of about 280 employees.
Significantly, after the dispute, the court directed Allahabadia and his associates to stay away from show-business for some time and termed the comments made on his show as “dirty and deformed”. The court had also directed that no new FIR would be filed against them on the basis of disputed episodes. At the same time, Allahabadia was banned from depositing its passport with the police and leaving the country without permission.
In addition, the court had asked the central government to take steps to control pornographic content on YouTube and other social media platforms. The court also sought cooperation from the Attorney General and Solicitor General on the issue.
It is to be known that on February 11, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had informed that the Guwahati police had registered an FIR against Raina, Ashish Chanchalani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija and others including Allahabadia. He is accused of spreading obscenity in the show ‘India’s Got Latant’.
