New Delhi:
YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, widely known by his online moniker “BeerBiceps,” has approached the Supreme Court seeking relief against multiple FIRs filed against him in various states. The FIRs stem from controversial remarks made during a now-deleted YouTube reality show, India’s Got Latent, hosted by comedian Samay Raina.
Mr Allahbadia, through his lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud, son of former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to club together the FIRs registered against him in different states. The YouTuber also sought anticipatory bail, fearing arrest by the Guwahati police, who have already issued summons to him and others involved in the show.
The petition requested an early hearing, which was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. However, the CJI declined to grant an immediate hearing, stating that a date had already been assigned for the case.
Justice Khanna advised Mr Allahbadia’s legal team to approach the court registry for further details.
The controversy erupted after Mr Allahbadia made remarks about parents and sex during an episode of India’s Got Latent, a reality show that featured comedians and influencers as judges and participants. “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?” Mr Allahbadia asked.
The comments, deemed offensive by many, led to widespread outrage and multiple complaints across the country. A resident of Guwahati filed a formal complaint, prompting the Assam police to register a case under sections related to obscenity and public morality. The case names Mr Allahbadia, Mr Raina, and other participants, including Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija.
The FIRs against Mr Allahbadia and others, including Mr Raina, were filed in Guwahati, Assam, following complaints about alleged obscenity and crass remarks made during the show.
The Assam police team is currently in Mumbai to serve summons to Mr Allahbadia, Mr Raina, and other participants. Mr Raina, who resides in Pune, has also been asked to appear before the Assam police within four days. However, the comedian is currently in the United States for his shows and has sought additional time to comply with the summons.
The controversy even reached the halls of Parliament, where Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske raised the issue, calling for stricter regulations on social media content. A parliamentary panel on communications and information technology has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to submit a detailed note on the matter by February 17.
