The Supreme Court on Monday noted that the investigation against podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia in connection with a controversial YouTube show has been completed. It said that his request to get his passport back would be heard on April 28.
Previously, on February 18, the court had protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs linked to remarks he made during a YouTube episode. It had also directed him to hand over his passport to the Nodal Cyber Police Station in Thane.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh stated it would take up his passport plea later this month. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Assam and Maharashtra police, informed the court that in the Guwahati FIR, only the statement of one co-accused remained to be recorded. He also confirmed that the investigation in the Mumbai FIR was done, though the chargesheet was still pending.
The court acknowledged this and confirmed that the probe related to Allahbadia was complete.
Earlier, on March 3, the apex court had allowed Allahbadia to continue his podcast, “The Ranveer Show,” but with the condition that it must follow “morality and decency” and be suitable for all age groups. The case stems from remarks he made on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, “India’s Got Latent,” which led to FIRs in multiple states.
Initially, the Supreme Court had barred him from publishing any content that could impact the ongoing legal proceedings. On February 18, the bench gave him interim relief from arrest, but strongly criticized his statements, calling them “vulgar” and saying he had a “dirty mind” that “put society to shame.”
Along with Allahbadia and Samay Raina, other individuals named in the Assam FIR include comedians Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija.
