Supreme Court Directs Release of Ranveer Allahabadia’s Passport in Obscenity FIR Case

On April 28, 2025, the Supreme Court of India directed that YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia’s passport be returned to him, after it was submitted as a condition for interim relief from arrest in multiple obscenity cases tied to his appearance on the controversial 'India’s Got Latent' YouTube show.

The bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued this order after being informed that the investigations in FIRs filed in both Assam and Maharashtra had concluded. Consequently, Allahabadia was permitted to approach the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau to retrieve his passport.

Clubbing of FIRs Not Allowed – For Now

During the hearing, Dr. Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahabadia, sought the consolidation of the FIRs from Assam and Maharashtra, arguing that they stemmed from the same show. However, the Court declined this request at present. Justice Kant observed that the Guwahati FIR contained distinct allegations not reflected in the Maharashtra complaint. "Why should a complainant from Assam be forced to travel to Maharashtra?" he remarked.

Chandrachud cited the Amish Devgan precedent—where multiple FIRs related to a single set of remarks were merged—but the Court deferred its decision on this point to a later date.

Cure SMA Foundation Files Independent Petition

The bench also acknowledged a separate writ petition filed by M/s Cure SMA Foundation, which objected to offensive remarks allegedly made by comedian Samay Raina about persons with disabilities in the same show. The organisation had initially tried to intervene in Allahabadia’s case but was advised by the Court to file an independent petition. On Monday, the Court allowed the Foundation to serve notice to the respondents through the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, due to difficulty in locating their addresses.

Background of the Case

Ranveer Allahabadia (also known as BeerBiceps), Ashish Chanchlani, and others became embroiled in a public controversy after video clips from a now-deleted episode of Samay Raina’s ‘India’s Got Latent’ show circulated widely. The clips, containing sexually explicit commentary—particularly in the context of parents—sparked nationwide outrage.

Following the uproar, Allahabadia and Raina issued public apologies. Raina removed the entire show from his channel, while Allahabadia acknowledged that his remarks were inappropriate. FIRs were subsequently registered in Assam, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, accusing the YouTubers of promoting obscenity and making vulgar, sexually explicit comments.

Allahabadia approached the Supreme Court seeking relief, including the clubbing of the FIRs and permission to travel abroad. The top court granted him interim protection from arrest, subject to conditions like surrendering his passport and refraining from uploading new content. Although Justice Kant criticized the language used in the show as “perverted,” the Court later allowed Allahabadia to resume broadcasting his own content under the assurance that it would comply with decency standards.

Chanchlani, meanwhile, was granted interim protection by the Gauhati High Court. His plea for quashing and consolidation of FIRs is also pending before the Supreme Court.

Case References:

1. Ranveer Gautam Allahabadia v. Union of India & Ors., W.P. (Crl.) No. 83/2025

2. Ashish Anil Chanchlani v. State of Guwahati & Anr., W.P. (Crl.) No. 85/2025