The Supreme Court on Monday granted permission to podcaster and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia to continue airing his podcast, ‘The Ranveer Show’, cautioning that it must adhere to standards of “decency and morality.”
A two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, passed the order on Allahabadia’s plea on Monday.
Strictly instructing Allahabadia that his show should be of “decency and morality,” the top court asked him to ensure that it is suitable for all age groups.
This decision came after Allahbadia filed an application seeking partial relief from a previous court order that had restrained him from broadcasting his shows.
He argued that his livelihood depends on the platform, which employs 280 individuals.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, remarked that while Allahbadia’s show is not vulgar, it is “perverse.” He distinguished between humor, vulgarity, and perversity, suggesting that regulatory measures might be necessary to prevent content violating societal moral standards.
The court asked the SG to explore potential regulations that would uphold free speech under Article 19(4) while ensuring content remains within acceptable boundaries.
However, the court refused his plea to travel abroad for now, stating that permission can only be granted after he joins the probe in the case.
In a major relief to Allahabadia, the Supreme Court on February 18 directed that no coercive action be taken against him for alleged obscene remarks on the YouTube show India’s Got Latent, while also reprimanding him for his indecent comments.
He faced scrutiny for alleged obscene remarks about parents and sex in the YouTube show.
During the hearing, advocate Dr Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahabadia, stated that the plea was for clubbing FIRs.
He informed the court that Allahabadia had received multiple death threats – first in Maharashtra, then Assam, and now Jaipur – along with a reward announced against him. The offence falls under the old Section 153-A (promoting hatred) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The apex court directed Assam’s investigating officer to coordinate with Allahbadia and set a date for his questioning.
However, his interim protection from arrest remains in place until further notice. Additionally, the court ruled that no content related to the case should be aired, as it could impact legal proceedings.
Moreover, Allahbadia admitted before the Maharashtra Cyber Police that his remarks on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, ‘India’s Got Latent,’ were a mistake.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court grants interim protection to YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia from arrest
Officials reported that he acknowledged his comments were inappropriate and had caused widespread controversy, leading to multiple FIRs.
The Supreme Court previously criticized his statements, calling them “condemnable and dirty,” questioning whether he had a “license to speak such things.”
