Supreme Court Extends Arrest Protection for YouTuber in High-Profile Case

The Supreme Court of India has extended interim protection from arrest to YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia following his controversial remarks on a show. The case, involving prominent social media influencers, also sees an NGO seeking regulatory protections for disabled persons against offensive content. Assam and Mumbai police are involved in FIRs concerning obscenity.

On Monday, the Supreme Court of India extended interim protection from arrest to YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia in connection with controversial remarks made during a podcast episode. The ruling was made by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, who noted the completion of an investigation by Maharashtra police, with a chargesheet expected soon.

The court further instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to confirm whether Assam police have concluded their investigation and whether Allahabadia is still required for further inquiries. The matter is set for further hearing on April 28, regarding Allahabadia's plea to cancel or transfer an FIR filed against him in Mumbai to Guwahati.

In a related move, the Cure SMA Foundation of India urged the Supreme Court to include protections for disabled individuals in the regulatory framework for online content. The NGO highlighted insensitive commentary by comedian Samay Raina on disabilities, including remarks on high-cost treatments, urging regulatory measures against such content.

The bench acknowledged the gravity of the issue but advised the NGO to file a separate writ petition, substantiating their claims with the relevant video clips. Previously, the top court had criticized Allahabadia for inappropriate comments on India's Got Latent, describing them as 'dirty and perverted.'

Concerns over obscene content on social media platforms have been raised, with the court seeking input from the Attorney General and Solicitor General. The controversy escalated when Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, confirmed an FIR had been registered against Allahabadia and several YouTubers for promoting obscenity during the show, with cases filed in both Mumbai and Guwahati.

(With inputs from agencies.)