National: The Supreme Court of India has directed authorities to release the passport of YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia, known widely as “Beer Biceps,” which was being held as a prerequisite for his interim protection from arrest in connection with several obscenity cases filed against him.
The order was issued by a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh after the court was informed that the investigations into the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against Allahabadia in the states of Assam and Maharashtra have been completed. The court further stated that Allahabadia is now at liberty to approach the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau to retrieve his passport.
During the court proceedings, Senior Advocate Dr Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahabadia, appealed for the consolidation of the multiple FIRs lodged against his client, arguing that the cases shared significant similarities in their nature.
However, Justice Kant declined to grant an immediate order for consolidation. The Justice observed, “The Guwahati FIR contains certain specific allegations which are not present in the Mumbai FIR. Why should a person perceived to be a victim in Assam be asked to come to Maharashtra?” The court indicated that it would consider the plea for consolidation again at a subsequent hearing.
The legal troubles for Allahabadia stemmed from his appearance on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube program titled “India’s Got Latent.” The particular episode in question featured jokes of a sexually explicit nature involving parents, which ignited widespread condemnation from the public and led to the filing of multiple criminal complaints against Allahabadia across various states.
In the aftermath of the public outcry, both Ranveer Allahabadia and Samay Raina issued public apologies for the content. Raina also took the step of removing the entire series from his YouTube channel.
The Guwahati Police had registered a case against five content creators, including Allahabadia, on February 10, accusing them of “promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussions.” It was also reported that additional cases were filed by the Maharashtra Cyber Department and the Jaipur Police in connection with the same incident.
While the Supreme Court had previously granted Allahabadia interim protection from arrest on the condition that he surrender his passport, another YouTuber, Ashish Chanchlani, who faced similar charges related to the same controversy, had earlier secured relief through the Gauhati High Court.
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