SUPREME COURT GRANTS INTERIM PROTECTION TO YOUTUBER RANVEER ALLAHBADIA
New Delhi, 18th February 2025: The Supreme Court of India today granted interim protection from arrest to popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as ‘BeerBiceps’, in connection with multiple FIRs filed against him for allegedly making obscene remarks on a comedy show. The court, however, directed Allahbadia to surrender his passport and refrain from conducting any shows until further notice.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh, strongly criticized Allahbadia’s comments, describing them as “disgusting”, “filthy”, and “insulting” to society. Justice Kant questioned whether popularity gave individuals the license to speak vulgarly and take society for granted.
Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahbadia, argued that the usage of profanity does not necessarily amount to obscenity. He cited the case of Apoorva Arora v State (2024) to support his argument. However, the bench emphasized that the issue was not about lustful thoughts but about the parameters of obscenity and vulgarity in a civilized society.
The court’s decision comes in response to FIRs filed against Allahbadia in Maharashtra, Assam, and Jaipur following his appearance on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, “India’s Got Latent”. The remarks sparked widespread outrage, leading Allahbadia to issue a public apology and Raina to delete all videos of the show.
While granting interim protection, the Supreme Court made it clear that such language will not be tolerated. The court directed Allahbadia to cooperate with the ongoing investigations and barred him from conducting any shows for the time being.
