Supreme Court Orders Return of YouTuber's Passport as Investigations Conclude

The Supreme Court has directed the release of YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia's passport to facilitate his international travel. This follows the conclusion of investigations linked to FIRs filed in Assam and Maharashtra over controversial remarks. The court allowed Allahabadia to resume his podcast under specific conditions.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the return of YouTuber and Podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia's passport from the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau, facilitating his ability to travel abroad. This decision was made by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, allowing Allahabadia to request the release of his travel document from the authority.

The directive from the top court comes following the completion of investigations concerning FIRs filed against Allahabadia in Assam and Maharashtra, linked to his contentious remarks on an episode of 'India's Got Latent.' Allahabadia's legal representative, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, urged the apex court to merge the Assam and Maharashtra FIRs, noting they both related to the same incident.

Despite these considerations, the bench indicated that the FIR filed in Guwahati included specific allegations not found in the Mumbai FIR. The Supreme Court was deliberating Allahabadia's petition to consolidate FIRs lodged nationwide due to controversial comments he and others made during the broadcast.

Previously, the court had permitted Allahabadia to continue his podcast, 'The Ranveer Show,' contingent on maintaining decency and morality, recognizing that the income of approximately 280 employees was tied to the program. The court had earlier instructed Allahabadia and his peers to take a hiatus from the entertainment industry following his indecent remarks on the show, which it criticized as 'dirty and perverted.'

Furthermore, the court prohibited the filing of additional FIRs against Allahabadia based on the aired episode. He was also ordered to surrender his passport, necessitating court approval for foreign travel. Additionally, the court queried the Center on addressing obscene online content, seeking the Attorney General and Solicitor General's input on this issue.

Earlier this year, on February 11, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed that the Guwahati Police had registered an FIR against YouTubers, including Allahabadia, along with Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija, for allegedly promoting obscenity and engaging in vulgar discussions on 'India's Got Latent.' Similar FIRs have been lodged in Mumbai and Guwahati. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)